The life and adventures of one Kizashi Blacksheath
by Lawley M
Summary: In an age, thirty years after the death of the second pirate king, a young man sets sail, seeking wealth, fame, and power. Can he survive in the renewed golden age of piracy?
1. They call him 'Blacksheath'

"…and so, here I am." A lone figure said, in a boat rowing along in the ocean, as vast as ever. Now, most narrators would talk about the waves hitting the boats, or the man sighing, or something like that. Oh don't worry, he does that quite a lot, but this is neither the time nor the place. This man's name was an odd one, even by the standards of the strange world he inhabited. Kizashi Blacksheath was his name, and this is his story. The man's appearance resembled that of the yonkou 'Red-haired' Shanks in his older years clothing-wise, at least from the neck down. He was wearing a long black cloak, over a simple white, button-up shirt, with a pair of blackish-brown pants that went down to his knees. Almost emo-like…but emos not the word for this man. The odd thing that one would notice about him was the collar he wore around his neck…almost as a symbol of honor. A crystal cross was embedded into the center of it, despite the fact that he wasn't a religious man…at all. And yet…the oddest feature…was one right below his eyes. A black tattoo that creeped up his neck, one of a black dragon, was sort of a turnoff for the ladies…not that he really minded. "If a girl likes me, she'll like me. If not she just won't!" as he would always say. Now, in the era in which this man lived, the dream of attaining the title of 'pirate king' was common, even if the man whom had last achieved the title, Monkey D. Luffy, had met the same fate as _his _predecessor, Gol D. Roger. But no, the title of 'Pirate King' was not this man's dream. In fact, if asked, he'd probably say he didn't have a dream, really.

Our friend Kizashi was just…rowing along in his little boat, like a bird upon the wind, or a fish underneath the tides. Oh, he knew what he wanted to _be_ alright…he wanted to be a 'pirate', even if, as stated before, he didn't want to be the king of that group. He wanted to be the captain of a big crew…he even knew what he'd name it. He knew almost every detail about what he wanted to be and what he'd do as it…and yet he had no crew. He had been searching for a while…he had set sail from his home…all the way in the South Blue, and he had sailed through hell and high water in a mad search for a crew. Now, he had had many adventures…saved many people, hell, he had even angered a few marines…and yet, no bounty, no crew. Of course…the first thing set him apart from most novice pirate-wannabes, in that he _wanted_ a bounty. Crazy eh? Truly, a man much more complex then his odd appearance lets onto. 'But what is his backstory'? You ask? Well, dear reader, time will tell, for hes not very tight lipped about it, but hes not the type to just randomly recall it either. So, suffice for him to be what he is to you now. A simple man who wants to be a pirate, rowing along in search of his dream.

"…Hey…whats that?" he asked, looking at the horizon with a blank expression on his face, even if he had the 'morning groggy' smile on his face. His eyes went big, however, when he saw just _what_ was on the horizon. There was a storm…a storm blowing in his direction. And here he was, on a rowboat that'd get tossed aside easily, even _if_ this were an East Blue storm. "Well…all I have to say about this is…thank god I'm not a devil fruit user…then again…if I _were_ one I'd think up a way out of this with my god-given powers. Oh well. You play cards with the hand your dealt, not the one you want." He said, trying to divert his course as best he could. Kizashi wasn't really a skilled seaman, even if he tried to fancy himself as such, but he did a rather good job at predicting the path of the storm, as it would eventually turn out, so he ended up in the part of it that _only_ ended up getting him very, very wet with stinky seawater. And so, through the high tides that came with a storm at sea, he sat in his boat, navigating as best he could with only a small sail and a set of oars. However, unbeknowest to him…something had formed _right_ above him…heading down. He looked up, with just a plain and simple look on his face, sighing as he said. "Well the…hurricane…guess I'm pretty screwed eh?"

And indeed, he was 'pretty screwed', for the area just outside the eye of the hurricane hit his small boat, sending him flying up into the air, holding on for dear life. Now, dear reader, this is the part where the determined side of Kizashi Blacksheath comes out, for instead of just giving up, he used the _one_ thing he had on him that hadn't been mentioned before, a saber, housed in a black sheath(pun intended). Somehow managing to not lose the sheath as he did so, he held onto the side of the boat with one hand, using the other to stab the saber deep into the wood…not realizing he would cause his boat to sink unless he could fit his saber _perfectly_ into the hole when this was all said and done. Now, that move did ensure his safety for the moment though…and he held onto the hilt of the saber with both hands…like a complete…utter…idiot. You see, dear reader, soon, the saber got jerked upwards, dislodging it from the hole he had just stabbed into the bottom of his boat, sending him hurling through the air in the part of a hurricane. Now, this went on for a good while…in fact, what seemed like an eternity in a clichéd turn of events. This came to an end, however, when Kizashi's head met the front of his boat, knocking him out…cold. He was lucky that it didn't kill him…however…and, in fact, it would probably have killed a normal man. But…then again, Kizashi wasn't exactly normal. Now, if this were a normal story, this would be the time for a dream, followed by him waking up determined and ready to face the world. However, this isn't nearly a normal story. So, suffice to say, the world was dark, bleak, and black for our friend. However, he _was_ drawn from this by a voice…most odd. It was…familiar, almost fatherly, and yet…still…it was distant. "Wake up…wake up." The voice called, and almost like an obedient dog, Kizashi obeyed, finding himself laying on a beach, with an odd shape playing nearby.

"I'm the pirate king! Hehe! I've even got meh a sword now t' prove it!" the voice said,,,it was…like a kid's voice. Kizashi rustled about a bit, trying to stumble up from the sand, despite the fact that he took a boat to the head. However, that didn't go so well, for that same kid jumped right _on_ his head. "Ooooooh!~ hes still alive!" the childish voice said, as it tugged Kizashi's face upwards, forcing our friend to look into his young 'savior's' eyes. All that he could tell was…that the kid was a boy…with white hair and large green eyes…that seemed as if they could peer into the heart of a normal man.

To be continued…


	2. Kai

Chapter 2.

Kai

"Ooooooh!~ hes still alive!" the boy said as he tugged Kizashi's face up, forcing him to look up at the face of the person whom had saved him…apparently. For the slightest amount of time, the world around Kizashi seemed blurry, almost to the extent that he couldn't see properly. But, as the boy held his face up, the sun casting a shadow on the young stranger's face, that gradually cleared up. "Geez mister. Didja ride that big storm out or something???" the boy asked, smiling as the blurriness cleared up entirely. This boy…he was young. No older then ten…at the most. And…those eyes, for a child, in a time when children in a genre such as this when children tend to be classified as 'cute', his eyes were…truly beautiful. The boy had white hair…which was an odd thing to Kizashi, considering the fact that he had never, in all his travels across the great vast seas, met a person with white hair. So, you could say, having only been conscious for a few seconds, our dear friend had already seen a new site.

"Yeah…I did." Kizashi said, his head trying to face the ground. He wasn't exactly feeling his best at the moment. Inadvertently, he had ended up seeing what the boy was wearing, which, even for a village such was this, was odd. The shirt he wore must've been self drawn, for it was just a plain white one with a likeness of himself in a pirate hat with a fist stuck out, with the word 'POW!' written over it in blue letters, with an exclamation mark after it. He was wearing shorts as well, colored a pleasant light red. And last but not least…well…suffice to say, his shoes were brown (since the narrator sucks with shoes). "Look kid… I'unno nothing about nothin at the moment. Do you have a place where I could rest or…something?" he asked, in a weak voice.

"Hmm…well…mommy did say that if I ever met a strange fella on th' beach that I should leave them alone and call the pervert police…but you seem like a good guy! Especially one with such a cool sword!" the boy said, dropping Kizashi like a rock as he jumped back, surprisingly acrobatic for such a young child. He picked the saber up out of the sand which he had recently stabbed it in, holding it up dramatically, before pointing it to Kizashi's head, which was facing forwards instead of down for some illogical reason. "Ima be king of th' pirates, and ima use this here sword to do it! Ya mark mah words!" he said, jumping too and fro, slashing at imaginary adversaries all around. "First, y'had Gol D. Roger, th' man who conquered th' great white sea!" the boy said, putting his hand to his chest and acting like a haughty, proud pirate. "Then y'had Monkey D. Luffy, the awesomest pirate to ever sail th' seas!" he continued, tossing the saber in the air before unknowingly doing a non-stretching variant of one of the Straw Hat captain's earliest signature moves, Gumo Gumo no Bazooka. However, by the time the sword was about to fall right ontop of his head, he jumped up, grabbing it by the point and flipping it quickly, facing the point towards Kizashi again. "…And next, we're gonna have Kai D. Karasu! The youngest boy t' ever sail under a jolleh roger!" he said, laughing as he looked down to our good friend Kizashi, realizing that the man was in pain. His eyes went big with shock, before dropping the sword and rushing to his side. "Oi Oi Oi! Your hurt y'are! I gotta get ya home to momah!" he screamed in a fit of panic. Without even a moment's hesitation, or, for that matter, a moment's difficulty, the child picked up the much bigger, fully grown captain Blacksheath, and made a mad dash up a steep hill, apparently heading for the boy's home.

The speed that he was running at, especially considering the fact that Kizashi wasn't exactly light, was remarkable, and indeed, in this state, Kizashi wasn't able to see much of the island as he was rushed through it with the arms of a child holding him up. But, the one feature he was able to notice, and this was just due to the repetitive nature of it, was a large number of sheep pastures, with the creatures grazing and making the signature bellow, taking notice to our friend as Kai ran by with him on his shoulder. Indeed, tall shadows suggested that even a few adults were turning their heads at the site of Kai carrying the man. But, if they were saying anything, it was lost upon Blacksheath's ears, for the wind was being much, _much_ too loud for him to be able to hear anything. Soon, however, he and his new, young friend were at the door of a house, with the mailbox out front reading 'The Karasus'. Kai opened the door, still carrying Kizashi on his shoulders. Our young friend walked inside, screaming "Mooooom!~ I'hm home!~ And I found a straaaay!~" in a rather cute voice, even for a little kid.

The boy's mother, apparently, stuck her head out of an oddly misplaced window that seemed to connect the foyer to a kitchen. Perhaps the woman expected to see Kai holding a puppy, or a kitten, or perhaps even an ugly frog or a dragonfly. But a full grown man…with a tattoo, a collar, a black cloak, and a somewhat rugged expression on his face was quite a shocker. So much so that the sound of dropping pans could be heard as she ran out, saying "Nonononono!" in an angry tone of voice. She was looking him over…and in her eyes, Kizashi could see that she thought that he was no good. The funny thing was…she was right. And at that thought, all our good friend could do was…smile.

"But moooooooom! He hasn't hurt anybodeh! Or…stabbed anybodeh! Comon! Lemme keep him! I'm sure he'll help us out around the house and everything!" Kai said, and, indeed, for several hours the two argued back and forth, mother to child, child to mother, about the ups and downs of keeping a fully grown man as a 'pet'. Perhaps the funniest part of this whole situation was the look on Kizashi's face, which had went, over the course of those hours, from amusement, to disdain, to smiling, and eventually to a puzzled look with large droplets of sweat running down his forehead. Perhaps he wanted to speak but…this was a family argument…and it wasn't much his place to interrupt it…even _if_ he was the subject of it.

However, eventually he did feel compelled to speak up, and he did so, looking up to the two with big eyes that…suddenly seemed to sparkle all black and…stuff. "Hey…Mama-chaaaaan! Kai-chaaaan! If you two nurse me back to health…I'll um…work around the house or something! I promise!" he said, trying to smile as pleasantly as possible. He wasn't exactly sure how this strange family would react to such an offer…but somehow he didn't think it would be pleasant…at all. And so, our hero gulped under his breath awaiting the kid and the mom's answer.

"…Sure!" they both said in unison, Kai's mother soon arranging for a doctor to come see about Kizashi. And so, a week later, with Kizashi resting easily in a bed specially prepared for him, Kai entered his room, bringing him his daily meal. "Y'know Blacksheath-sama…your gonna have ta earn your keep aroun' here soon y'know…well…day after tomorrow anyways." He said, smiling obliviously to the fact that what he just said implied something.

"Well…whats happening tomorrow Kai?" Kizashi asked, out of curiosity more then anything else.

"Why…only the Karasu famileh reunion!" the boy said cheerfully.

To be continued…

(Author's note: These chapters are short, I know, but that's mainly cause this is sort of a…Manga in word form. Chapters aren't very long, but they get churned out fast enough. Also, sorry that this chapter isn't as good as the first one. I'll do better next time, promise.)


	3. NOT The Karasu family Reunion

Chapter 3

NOT the Karasu family reunion

"Why…only the Karasu famileh reunion!" Kai said cheerfully, sitting himself up on a stool and looking at our good friend, a smile upon his lips. There was something…irregular about this kid. It wasn't normal, not at all, to be able to carry a fully grown man through a village when you probably haven't even reached puberty yet. Perhaps Kizashi wanted to ask a question, but for the moment, he remained quiet, merely observing the boy. "So, Blacksheath-sama…howdja end up on this here island anyways? Mutanzumai doesn't get that maneh visitors!" the boy asked, that smile still on his face. This boy seemed….just a bit _too_ happy. (Author's note: Mutanzumai is a combination of the words Sheep and Shape in Japanese, so it could be said that the island's name was, literally, Sheepshape)

Kizashi smiled back, his being more pleasant then cute, as he began to speak in a normal tone. "Well, theres not really much to say. I was just sailing by and a hurricane formed. I made a few mistakes and…well…I ended up getting hit in the head by a boat. Nothing big." He finished, flexing the muscles of his right arm in order to appear tough to the boy. Kai, however, wasn't very impressed.

"Your tryin to act tough…aintcha?" the boy asked, that smile changing into a slightly annoyed look….in a comedic manner, of course. Kai just didn't have a very scary face, although that might be more of a good thing then a bad one. "Cause Ah've only been hit on th' head one time by anythin' large…and lemme tell ya, that hurt like a mug, I swear!" the boy said, scratching the back of his head, probably across some scar from long ago.

"There isn't really a 'trying' to it m'boy, you either are tough, or you a-" he said, before stopping mid sentence as he realized something, mainly from the fact that the boy had gotten up whilst he was talking, walking over to the closet where he had thought he had 'hidden' his saber, away from Kai's curious nature. He hadn't known the kid for a week and already he could read him like a book. "…and if I'm trying to act tough…you _succeed_ at being curious…my kinda kid." He said, laughing in a rather gruff manner.

"Hehe…thank ya!" Kai said, smiling as he looked at the weapon, sheathed inside of that black sheath of Kizashi's. The thing, now that he was _looking_ at it instead of swinging it around like a drunken monkey, looked rather plain. Sure, it had a handguard that was more like a rapier or a cutlass then a saber, but it was just…so…_plain_ to be housed in such a pretty sheath. "What in th'…!" the boy whispered as he pulled out the blade part of the saber, looking at it closely. There were numerous cuts, niches, chipped off parts, and other things that made the blade seem useless on an insane degree in a battle. "Wow Blacksheath-sama…this thing must've seen lotsa action over the course of yar travels! What are ya…a pirate or something?" Kai asked, probably as a joke more then anything.

However, at those words, Kizashi sit up straight, looking at the boy as best he could, even _if_ his brown hair had decided to impede his vision at that particular moment. He pointed his hand at the boy's head, like a finger gun, saying "Bullseye!" as he acted like the finger gun was really shooting at Kai. Perhaps he was trying to scare the kid, perhaps he was trying to impress him. If he meant for the latter, he succeeded beyond his wildest dreams, for the kid's eyes almost literally _beamed_ when he heard that.

"_A-A-A-AWESOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMEEEEEE!~ A REAL PIRATE IN MAH HOUSE!_" the boy screamed, so happy that he dropped the saber to the floor.

Kizashi jumped up, grabbing the boy and putting a hand over his mouth before he could draw too much attention. "Shhh! Even if I don't have a bounty, most people would hang me from the nearest tree if they heard you scream that!" Kizashi whispered hurridly, and yet, at the same time, slow enough that the boy would understand. Somewhere in the pleasant in-between of too fast and too slow.

With a great bit of ease, however, Kai freed his mouth of Kizashi's hands, and he looked up at the man, with eyes full of wonder. "Blacksheath-sama, what crew are ya in? Th' Iron Cross pirates? Th' Angel Pirates? Th' Raptor Eye pirates?? Th' Blu' leg pirates? Or maybeh…even..th' dreaded _BALLERINA_ pirates!" Kai said, with the slightest hint of fear in his voice when he said that last one.

"Kai…I don't think half of those crews exist. Heck…I don't think any of them would even make good nicknames for wanted posters…but um…I'm a _captain …_captain of a one man crew." He said, lowering his head to the ground as he did so in shame. "Although…I know what the name of my crew is." He said, standing up, picking the sword up off of the ground with him as he did so. "We'll be tha scourge of the seas! The terror of the grand line! The stirring between women's legs! The smile of death itself! We'll be…the Blacksheath Flames…and nothing in the whole world will stop us!" he said, holding the saber up high into the air proudly. Even in this age of pirates..he looked…almost…_knightly._

"Well count meh in!" Kai said simply, our dear captain, perhaps, not realizing that he was still gripping the kid tightly. However, at Kai's response, he _did_ let go of him, slinking back against the wall.

"Well…um…I don't know you that well, Kai. Sure you saved me…and carried me on your back…and got me room and board on this island…and ran faster then most grown men." Our dear friend said, saying each word more slowly, and in a more dumb manner then the last. This kid would be really useful…if he knew how to fight, that is. "Ya know what? Show me you can fight…and sure, I'll let you in my crew. Heck..you can be the recorder of my travels or somethin', just a technical title really." He said in a matter of fact tone, expecting the boy to be stumped when asked to give a display of combat prowess. That was something that most children, despite any actual potential. With Kai, however, the reaction was…different. He smiled that broad smile of his, rising to his feet, giving Kizashi a gesture which clearly meant 'Wait a minute'.

Kizashi, being just a slight bit baffled by his young friend's eagerness to prove himself, sat down on the bed, laying there and waiting for the kid to come back. However, it wasn't the door opening that signaled Kai's return, but a scream from out of the window. "Oi!!~ Captain!~ Comon down here! Ima show ya just how good I can fight. Bring that worn poopoo blade with ya too!" the voice screamed. And, as our dear captain lay there, his eyes went big in surprise. The kid was going to _fight_ him. Such a daring move…well, it impressed Kizashi by itself, and now, deep within him, a curiosity burned, one _begging_ to see this kid in action. And so, he stood himself up, tying his black cloak around his neck, over the clothes that they had given him, just the plain clothes of a villager. At the moment, that cloak, his saber, and the collar around his neck were the only things that made him look different from your average country bumpkin.

About a minute later, Kizashi walked out of the house, Kai's mother's head peaking through _another_ square window out of the kitchen of the household. "So, your gonna fight me for the right to be in my crew, basically?" our dear captain said, smirking as he drew his saber. He saw now why the boy had asked for a few minutes…his appearance had changed drastically! Kai was no longer wearing little kids clothes, but rather, he was wearing a black vest with no shirt under it, with red, almost…tribal lines running all over the thing. This vest seemed to…flow naturally into baggy pants of the same color, with the lines continuing down to a pair of boots that looked reliable no matter the circumstances. But, the odd quirks about this 'suit', as you would call it, were a pair of dolls, one wrapped around each of the boy's legs. One was a pretty girl, with long blond hair in a nice blue dress, whom seemed to smile the most beautiful smile for a doll. The other was a cute golden retriever puppy, which meant that, perhaps, these were nothing more then distraction tools for Kai to use when fighting people. Then again…he didn't act the type to do that kind of thing, really. Kai's response was a simply nod, before something entirely…unexpected happened. The stuck his right arm out, bending it so that the fist was facing midway between straight up and at his own head, as sharp, white objects tore out of the skin, that same skin seeming to heal for the most part soon after. "What in the…!?" Was Kizashi's only response, and he took a step back, gripping his saber with both hands, sort of like a baseball bat. Kai seemed completely oblivious to how grotesque this ability looked, and he even laughed at Kizashis reaction. Our dear Captain rushed forward, with Kai doing the same, both of them screaming at the top of their lungs. For better or for worse, this fight had begun

To be continued…


	4. Iron vs Bone

Chapter 4

Iron vs. Bones

As our two hero's weapons met, a distinct _clang_ could be heard, even if the weapon Kai was using wasn't exactly metal, per se, but rather an extension of his own body, his bones, to be more specific. "Heh, never known a person who could do this before, your pretty unique, I'll give ya that kid." Kizashi said with a smile, jumping forward, quickly turning his blade around, trying to slice at Kai's neck…he was forgetting that his opponent was a child already! However, unlike a normal kid, who would've panicked and done something stupd, Kai kept his cool, thrusting the hand with the bones on it upwards, blocking the blow before hitting our dear Captain Blacksheath in the side of his head, with more strength then even some grown men. No matter what he was thinking, no matter what he was feeling, our good captain got sent _flying_ back, and if it wasn't for a tree that was so conveniently in his path, he probably would've got hit all the way out to sea…but a boy who didn't look _half_ his age. As his back hit the tree, Kizashi slumped to the ground, feeling lots and lots of pain as he landed on a protruding tree root. "Damn…I'd better watch my back." Our dear captain said under his breath, before standing up, holding his blade in another of his 'ready' positions, with the saber held out with all the bravado of an old Spanish hero, his black cloak flaying about in the wind. A smile came across his face…it seemed that a boy would push him closer to his limits then any opponent he had encountered before that point had. As expected, the boy soon charged him, in a straight-forward rush, his hands held out behind him. "The 'runaway train' maneuver?" Kizashi asked rhetorically, jumping aside with relative ease, losing himself for but a moment as he sliced downwards, accidentally cutting the boy on his left arm. Kizashi's eyes went big as he realized just what he had done, and he looked down at the boy, forgetting that they were still fighting as he said "I'm sorry Kai! I didn't mean to hurt you!" in an apologetic tone, not wanting to hurt his lil buddy. Kai, however, only smirked, raising his hand up, as if asking Kizashi to help him up.

"Y'know, bein' kind to meh won't win ya this fight, cap'n." the boy said, doing a supposedly harmless gesture, pointing his right index finger at the good captain, a broad smile crossing his face, completely ignoring the pain on his arm. "Teshi shigan" the boy screamed out, catching Kizashi completely by surprise as what appeared to be the bone in Kai's finger fired out, grazing the good captain's cheek. Kizashi was silent now, oddly enough, even as he jumped back, building up momentum before running at Kai again, holding his saber like a baseball bat, swinging it right at Kai's face. Now, dear reader, if you think that Kizashis the kind of man whom would kill a kid, your sadly mistaken. You see, he was swinging the flat side of his blade, and even if it left an imprint on lil Kai's face, he was mostly fine. Now, instead of crying like most kids would, this sudden spike of pain drove poor Kai into a rage, and he ran, screaming at the top of his lungs, at Kizashi again, his main bone slashing against his iron saber, the two swinging back and forth, both barely able to stand this deadly dance of iron and bone, and, indeed, if it weren't for a great deal of training on the part of _both_ of them, well, someone would've lost an arm at this point. And the sad thing is, dear reader, that neither of them noticed nor heard Kai's mother screaming at the two going at one another like this were a serious battle, as their battle moved further and further down the road, away from Kai's house. Eventually, the two were fighting along a fence, with a vast field on the other side, still trading blows with one another like there was no tomorrow. Now, whether it was simple bravado, or whether it was to make him and Kai look cool to any passersby, Kizashi lept up, standing on the thin fence, balancing himself on there somewhere, his cloak still flowing in the wind, even if it had died down for the most part now. "Ooooh! Good idea Blacksheath-sama!" Kai said in an eager tone of voice, jumping up and locking blades with Kizashi once again, both of them not standing atop the fence. "Hmm…only bad thing is…this here bone thingys not too good for sword figh's…ok, maybe this iz my first one…but its not too good for 'em, ah see that now!" Kai said, thinking for a moment, as Kizashi held his blade out, ready to resume this little sparring match. In all honesty, our good captain Blacksheath was probably ready to accept the kid into the crew already and set sail on some boat, but that wouldn't do, since he was the one popping the kid's battle cherry…and one's first fight is always something to remember.

As he stood there, waiting to see what the kid would do, a simple question came to mind. "Um…Kai…just how long have you been training and all that?" he asked, not knowing what kind of answer to expect. Not one single thing about this kid, from the moment he was found on the beach by him a week ago, had been what he had expected.

"How maneh years have ah been trainin'?" Kai said, repeating the question that had been asked of him. Temporarily, he forgot about this little match, putting his hands under his chin in a thinking position as he balanced his little body out on the fence. "Hmm…lessee…we moved to this here island two years ago…I've been trainin' evereh day since!" he said, smiling happily as he looked up at Captain Blacksheath. "So, I'hm this maneh years old," he said, holding up seven little fingers, "and ah've been trainin' this maneh years!" he finished, sticking all but two of the fingers down.

Now, dear reader, don't get Kizashi wrong, he wasn't a cowardly fellow. Heck, in his time, he had taken down quite a few men that most would think were well beyond him, and done feats that, to the people on his home island, seemed impossible to most, but this little kid…to already be matching…to already be _pushing him back_, even, was a feat worthy of song in and of itself. "K-K-Kai…I think you've proven yourself more then worthy of joining my crew…" Kizashi said, his eyes looking completely white as he sheathed his saber.

"Aaaaaw.~" Kai pouted, looking down at the ground below him. "Ah didn't even get to take mah trainin' weights off…" he said, jumping up, letting the two plush dolls fall to the ground, landing with a distinct _thud_ on the ground. "Your no fun Blacksheath-sama! Lets hope next time we fight that weh push one another even further!" the boy said with a smile on his face, a very pleasant one for someone that had just been cut on the arm and slapped in the face with the blunt side of a saber. "Sooooo, Blacksheath-sama, I know it's a bit sudden and all tha', but wanna blow this here popsicle stand or something?" the boy asked, in a tone of voice so innocent that it was just…odd, even coming from a seven year old kid.

"Right now?" Kizashi asked

"Ah don't see why not…not like ya wanna be 'round when the Karasu famileh reunion happens either. Com'on! I'm ready…for adventure!" the boy said, running off to the locals docks, eager for adventure. And, behind him walked the hero of this little story, Kizashi Blacksheath. He wasn't the strongest of men, not be a longshot, he wasn't the quickest of them either. He was who he was. Kizashi Blacksheath. This man had many an adventure before him, many a sight to see, many a battle to fight, and that thought by itself…well…it _excited_ him. If this small boy was a match for him…then the thought of what other allies he would encounter on this vast ,wide, ocean…well, that excited him too. And so he kept walking down the road, Kai running along in front of him, ready to start the _fun_ part of his journey.

Introductions arc

The end

To be continued…

(Author's note: There'll always be a to be continued thing, for the overlapping storys always going to continue…well…until the story outright ENDS but eh *shrugs*)


	5. Crossing over

Chapter 5

Crossing over

It was the dawn of a new day for our heroes, the aspiring captain, Kizashi Blacksheath, and his first crewmember, his new friend Kai D. Karasu. They had left Kai's hometown the previous day, seeking fun and adventure…common pirate stuff. Hell, they had both had this weird feeling in their stomachs, like they were about to be sick, and in the end, they'd ended up staying up all night, worried that something was going to happen. Now, dear reader, luckily for this story, they were wrong about that little fact. Everything was ok, and there they were, adrift in a small boat, with a tattered bedsheet for a sail. The two of them were huddled close together, Kai taking refuge in Kizashi's large black cloak, trying to stay warm. The breeze blown by the sea was cold, much too cold. But the two were trying to be pirates, dear reader! Pirates couldn't let the cold get them down, so our two brave heroes endured. Kai shivered, an adjective probably in order for that, even _if_ the narrator doesn't feel like adding unnecessary adjectives. "Blacksheath-sama…" the boy said, excitement in his voice at the prospect of having finally left home. "Where're weh headin' now that we're outta there? Th' gran' line???~" the boy asked, wonder and an innocent lust for adventure in his voice and mannerisms as he looked up at our dear captain.

However, all the man whom the boy was talking to could manage was a sarcastic laughter. "The grand line eh…?" our dear friend said, patting the boy on the head as he looked out to the sea. "Heh…what reason do we have to go _there_?" he asked, the mention of that place sparking his memories. Over the years, and, indeed, from brief personal experience, he'd seen and heard of that place. 'The Pirate's Graveyard'. That was what some people called it, and Kizashi was partial to agree with them. "Looksy here, Kai…even _if_ I wanted to go there…we'd need more then just the two of us. We'd need a…a _cook_, and a navigator, and another fighter…at the very least." He said, holding up a finger at the mention of each position. Sure, the idea of going there, of gaining wealth, fame, and power, perhaps even the title of pirate king…something he had no desire for, as stated before, was certainly a most _romantic_ one, that just wasn't him. "Plus, theres the fact that, even if we managed to make it in there with five people, we'd end up signing our own _death warrant_. Those seas…are deadly." The man said. Of course his words would come off as harsh to the little boy more likely then not…but Kai was just that, a boy. The Grand Line wasn't a place for _children._

"But…Blacksheath-sama…" the boy said, looking up at our hero…staring deep into Kizashi's eyes. "Going into th' gran' lines th' only way ta become King of th' pirates, an'…well…_thas' mah dream_." The kid said…and the tone in his voice…well…it sparked something in Captain Blacksheath's memory. For a few moments, he wasn't a grown man on a small ship in the East Blue…he was a kid, on his home island, back in the _South_ blue.

"I'm gonna be the leader of the toughest, strongest, nicest pirate crew to ever sail the seas…_that's my dream_." The young Kizashi said, a big smile on his face, one that almost _dared_ someone to say otherwise. Of course, he still had his collar, his saber, _and_ his big cloak…only he was two feet shorter, making him look utterly ridiculous. And then, without a moment's warning, our hero found himself in the present day, looking down at the kid again. A smile crossed his face, and, once again, our hero patted the kid on the head, saying "You remind me a lot of…well…_me_, y'know that, kid?" he asked. Perhaps…well…maybe a voyage to the grand line wouldn't be so out of the question…if he and Kai could find people willing to risk life and limb in the name of finding treasure and all that. "Feh, well…if its your dream to die in the grand line at such a young age…not my place to stop ya. Hell, since your in my crew, and it's the cliché dream of _every_ crew to reach the grand line, I'll even help ya." Our hero said, that same smile daring smile his younger self had worn on his face again. "But y'better remember one damn thing. Not my fault if you, me, or any other person that comes along with us ends up dead. Now, my first order as your captain…stand up and state your powers, dreams, anything you wanna know about yourself…I wanna hear your story."

Our friend Kai nodded, jumping up energetically, before turning around and putting his hands on his sides, looking tough…in a cute sort of way. "Mah names Kai D. Karasu." The boy began, stating the stuff that Kizashi already knew first. "Ah ate this weird fruit, coupla years ago, boyeh who had it before meh called it th' 'Hone Hone no Mi', or somethin' like that." Now, dear reader, Kai stated a few more things, but that last thing he had said left Kizashi in a state of…disbelief. He had suspected it, heck, it wasn't _that_ hard to figure out…but still, to have it outright pointed out to him was…well…odd. The boy had eaten a devil fruit! "Y'see, back when ah' was four, daddeh and mommeh made meh go to pre-school, and on th' secon' day, th' teacher told us t' bring somethin' precious to us th' nex day. Now, y'see Blacksheath-sama…this one kid, real rich type, he brough' the fruit…an'…well…mommeh wouldn't let meh eat any supper tha' night before, sayin' somethin' bout how it was wrong tha' ah punched a cow or somethin'. So, as he was about to eat it in fron' of th' entire class, ah jumped up and at it fiiiiirst!~" the boy said, jumping up and down, rocking the boat (much to Kizashi's great dismay.) "Course, he wasn' too happeh bout tha', tried t' chase meh all over th' island weh were on! Didn' go so well, lemme tell ya!" he said, telling the story of a few more details, of how he had basically, albeit worded much differently, had been chased off of the island for being a freak. "So, am good enough t' be on your crew, Blacksheath-sama?" the boy asked, a pleasant smile on his face.

"Feh, well…you sound and _act_ stronger then most people I've met on the seas…and at this point…well…beggers can't afford to be choosers. I dare say that now your _officially_ in the Blacksheath Flames…now we just need a bigger ship and some more people." He finished, sighing at how un-piraty he and Kai were at the moment. However, a little speck on the horizon would probably change all that…an island was up ahead! There'd definitely be someone willing to make them a ship…and some people willing to risk life and limb in the name of fun n' treasure there. "Land hooooo!" the two cried in unison, Kai jumping up to the top of the sails, whilst Kizashi put one of his feet on the front of the boat, the sea breeze causing his cloak to flutter, making the image all the more cool.

Meanwhile, back on Mutanzumai, a pair of figures, dressed in black, were walking towards the home of, who else, Kai It seemed that the boy's mother had hired bounty hunters, and on such short notice, to bring the boy back. "Oi, Tsu, whaddya say we kill these worthless sacks of flesh after we get the reward money?" the taller, and, indeed, more intimidating looking of the two said, a large grin on his face. "You get more sword practice, and I get to please Ansatsu-sama!" the man said. Now, there were really only two things about him that one would note from a passing glance. One was his _massive_ scythe, the blades of which were colored a…very odd color. The damn thing looked like it could cleave a man in two as well, definitely not someone you wanted to mess with, even if you were drunk or something. The other feature were his robes…which were jet black in color, giving the man the appearance of a priest, which he technically was, even if he and his partner were more of a pair of contract killers then men of God.

"…" the other man said in response, his usual reaction to his partner's homicidal ideas. This man…well…he looked less intimidating then his friend, being a full foot shorter, and with a look of mixed tire and boredom in his eyes. Much of his body was hidden by what looked to be a mix of a black cape and trench coat..with buckles at the top to close it up. Presently, they were fastened, hiding the man's mouth, and, indeed, most of his lower face. However, despite being the less intimidating of the two, that was, by no means, a statement that meant he wasn't intimidating by himself. A pair of intricately designed katanas were fastened to his belt, although neither of them were sheathed. Indeed, it was unlikely that the Katanas even _had_ sheaths, showing just how much they were probably used.

Now, dear reader, if this were an anime, or even a manga, words would probably be displayed on the screen right about now, reading something along the lines of

'Ki and

Freelance Bounty Hunters'

The shorter of the two knocked on the door, just loud enough for someone to hear, and, indeed, Kai's mother answered, a worried look on her face. "Thank you two for comin' on such short notice…its about my son…"

To be continued…


	6. Land ho!

Chapter 6

Land ho!

Our two friends, Kai and Kizashi, smiled that sort of…happy smile at the sight of land, and began conversing about what they would do…despite not even knowing if it was an island inhabited by people. "Now Kai…" began Kizashi, suddenly trying to act cool. It seemed that his personality just couldn't stay the same for five minutes at a time…perhaps he should've gotten that seen about when he was a kid. "The most important thing one must do when ya get to an island is to scope out the women!" he said, looking down at the kid, whom had moved to the very front of the raft, probably out of a sense that he'd be closest to any adventure that was about to happen.

"Blacksheat-sama, ya know as well as ah do that girls don' intrest meh yet." He said, acting like a sage out of some old book, for no apparent reason. Although, in all honesty, he _did_ have a point. Children didn't have much of a libido…well…most children, anyway. "Blacksheath-sama…whats a 'labido'?" he asked, commenting on the thoughts of the nar- wait a minute.

Kizashi had to hold back laughter, making it sound, instead, like a fit of laughter, nearly toppling the boat over in the process. "A-a libido, ya ask?" Kizashi said, suddenly needing to find a cover story. Of course, the kid would hate him for lying about something when he got older. "A libidos like a…um…TOTEM POLE!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, jumping up and holding his saber out in a dramatic fashion, as that little dot in the distance continued to grow more and more.

"Righ'…" Kai said, before his eyes widened again at the site of…the harbor of the island they were coming to! During this short little conversation with his new captain…they had gotten within distance of the island, and, without warning, Kai jumped off of the boat, doing a flip midair, clearing the large amount of distance between the ship and the pier that they'd end up docking at. And, at that little fact, Kizashi's eyes widened too. That kid…truly _was_ a marvel. And, without warning, he began running towards a crowded street near the dock, leaving our hero in to take care of the docking fees and everything else.

"Kids" Kizashi said, starting to hum a pleasant tune, laying on his back, meditating for just a few minutes as the boat came closer and closer still, to the docks of the town. "Meh…hes fast…I'll give him that, and dear _god_ if someone taught him control of that raw _power_, he really _could_ be the Pirate King." He said, standing up as his boat got within docking distance of the pier. With a sudden energetic jump, he too was up on the pier, rope in hand as he tied a rope around one of those things which hold rafts in place at docks like that, Kizashi couldn't remember their exact name. Anyways, the name of one thing wasn't as important as the sign hanging from a nearby building. 'See dockmaster about your boats or _we will_ cut it loose.' The sign read. "And here I was, thinking we could get away with having the boat here without paying…oh well." Kizashi said, a slight sigh in his voice as he walked forward, his hands in his pockets. Although, on that note, his entire body was hidden by that black cloak of his, so its not like anyone would see his arms up under there, anyways. Nor would any mugger see the saber hanging in it, so he'd likely get a fight at some point. The only thing that one would consider intimidating about Kizashi would be his tattoo, and that itself was a rather easy thing to overlook. Soon, he found himself standing infront of that building labeled 'dockmaster', and so he did something rather polite for a pirate…he knocked. "Come in!" a rather burly voice screamed out. Our friend Captain Blacksheath obeyed the command, opening the door up, before curling his nose up in disgust. Tobacco smoke…he'd never much liked it.

"Oh my…quite a young'un we've got here." The man whom had screamed out earlier said. Kizashi's first impression of the man…well…it made him think he was dealing with a businessman, rather then a simple dockmaster. "…you're that new raft out there, I'd suppose." He said, sitting behind his desk. And, not only that, Kizashi had got it wrong earlier. That wasn't tobacco smoke…it was cigar smoke! Although…dammit if that cigar wasn't the _worst_ smelling one Kizashi had ever seen.

"You suppose correct." Kizashi said in a matter of fact tone. This guy looked like the type of fellow he'd rob…not pay. "How much would it cause to rent that space of that pier out for…oh…two days?" he asked, expecting the man to say, at the most, five thousand bellis.

And, in a response that anyone whom could read and understand your humble narrator's context clues would see coming a mile and a half away, the man said "Ten thousand bellis."

"TEN THOUSAND?" Kizashi screamed in response, almost literally jumping. He could take both himself and Kai out to eat at some expensive restaurant for that amount.

"Mister, I dunno who you think you are, but I've got a business to run here, and two days for a little pissposser raft like that to take up space when a _real_ boat could come in at any moment is ridiculous. Take it or get that thing offa my docks." Kizashi merely grumbled in response, tossing down a ten thousand belli note in response, before curtly turning out of the office, leaving without even a nice 'fine'.

Kai, meanwhile, was much farther out, looking up at everything, and, indeed, every particular person with wander. These weren't the normal people he was used to. These people…especially from the bits and pieces of conversations Kai overheard…it seemed that they were pirates! The thought that he was on an island of pirates…well…that truly made him smile. But, something caught his eye up ahead, a heated conversation that was occurring at a roadside stand, which had escalated to the man drawing a gun on the cashier. Not a minute later, the man with the gun found himself with a face full of grease, and, just as Kai neared enough where he could hear, he heard a middle-pitched voice say "You want fries with that?", as the poor sod found himself rolling on the ground in pain from the grease.

"Awesome!!~" Kai responded, having never seen a person react so well to a gun in their face before and, perhaps because he was a young fool, he rushed over to that stand, seating himself on a bar, as he looked at the man behind the counter, and the place in general. There was only one person in there, with several pots, pans, and vats of grease behind him. The man looked at Kai with eyes that, although it was plain that through some alien means he could see, were closed shut in a squint. Not only that, he wasn't wearing the kind of clothes that a fry cooker would usually wear, instead wearing a light blue cloak, in the same style of cloak as Kizashi's signature black one…only it went down to his knees, instead of covering his whole body. Before the squinty-eyed man could say a word, Kai said "Oi!~ Fry-cookeh-san!~ Fix meh up a batcha them good ole friehs!" He said, banging on the table a bit.

Our cook friend only smiled in response, nodding as he turned back, towards his fries. And, all the while, the man behind the pair was screaming, begging for someone to pick him up and take him to the hospital. Perhaps the man saw the writhing in agony part as part of the punishment for trying to rob his stand, but whatever the case, he didn't even acknowledge that the man was still lying there. He only hummed a pleasant tune (which, coincidentally, was the same tune that Kizashi had hummed at the dock.). Just a few short minutes later, he pulled a batch of fries out that had the…most delicious aroma about them, placing them in large container-box marked 'Portable WcDonalds', before handing them to Kai, saying "Do you want fries with that?"

"But…" Kai began, looking down with just a hint of confusion in his voice. "Ya kinda sorta just gave meh a large order of friez."

"…oh…that's right, I did." The man said, nodding in a manner that some would consider sagely, before pouring a large glass of lemonade from a nearby dispenser. "Made this myself…and for a kid like you, this meals on the house!" the man said, a bit more of a smile on his face as he spoke. It was so rare that a kid could appreciate the value of a fry.

But, now that his face was in full view…Kai saw something that was, all things considered, very odd. The man had a tattoo on his face, much like his captain…infact, the tattoo was the same…a black, Chinese style dragon creeping up his face…but the pattern was exactly the opposite of Kizashi's! And it was on the other side of his face. Even a simple kid like Kai could tell something was wrong with this picture. But, at the moment, Kai didn't let it bother him, starting to chow down on those fries that his new friend had given him. And, dear goodness those fries were tasty…and natural cut too!

"Hehe…I see you like them." Our currently nameless friend said, making sure to never let that pleasant 'the customer is always right' smile fade from his face. It was always an enjoyable thing, seeing someone enjoy the fruits of his labor, even if he had nearly gotten sued by five fat chicks already, claiming that 'WcDonalds made me fat!' Of course, the company had always done right, allowing our friend to represent them in court. One sentence, said in a smart, sarcastic tone of voice always won them their cases. "It wasn't my fries that made you fat…It was *your* fatass mouth." Every single judge that heard that statement agreed, and the company our friend worked for got off scot free, with the mischievous squinty eyed fiend getting a healthy bonus every time.

Kizashi, having heard Kai's voice a mile away, had finally caught up with the boy, and he said the _obvious_ thing, which was "Hmm…so this is where you ran off too. Whos this new friend of yours?"

Before Kai could even respond, the aforementioned 'new friend' said "Me?" Seeing the brown haired man nod, he continued "Well…some people call me the space cowboy…" he began, sliding a hand along the counter before saying "some others call me the gangster of love." He said, looking at some women that passed the little group by. "And y'know…some people call me Maurice." And somewhere nearby, a guitar did a lick like a wolf whistle. "…DAMMIT MARTY!" the man screamed out, hopping up and down. "I toldja not to do that. Scares away the curious people!"

And, just as he said that, a midget ran by, guitar in hand, screaming 'wara wara wara!"

"That's just Marty…you'll have to get used to him." He said, breathing heavily before continueing where he left off, as if a midget hadn't just run by, and, once again, as though there wasn't a guy writhing in pain in the middle of the street a few feet away. "But um…yeah, my real names Kizashi Blacksheath, pleased to meetcha."

Kai and Kizashi…well…they froze in place as they heard the man's name. "Kizashi Blacksheath?" the both asked in unison. And it was now that *our* Kizashi, too, noticed the Black dragon tattoo in the man's cheek.

"I know I know…like the 'Shining Shichibukai, Mikhail Blacksheath." He said, acting as if this weren't a big deal at all, instead going to prepare yet another batch of fries for the newly arrived Captain Blacksheath…apparently he wasn't so sting with his fries, at least compared to some others.

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Tsu and Ki's Journey across the blues. Volume 1. (Short ending story)

"Oi! Tsu!" Ki asked, sitting in one corner of the duo's own raft, slashing his scythe against the water casually. "Why the hell is it that the ugly bitch inside that house called us all the way out here when, as it turns out…we gotta head right back to where we came from?!"

Tsu, meanwhile, only shrugged as an answer, not saying a word, as he sat in his own corner of the raft, chewing on his gums as he looked out to the sea with…well…tired eyes. Even though they were just travelling on a raft, the blue haired man was acting much too casual, considering the woman on Sheepshape's request. 'Rescue my son…and kill his kidnapper!' before giving them a picture of the boy. A nice looking kid he was, although the aura of a rebel was given off by him. Something told Tsu this wasn't quiiite a kidnapping.

"Well, either way this works out well for us." Ki responded, something of a sadistic smile crossing his face as he thought of, to put it bluntly, massacring the entire island, son included, after returning him and securing their payment. "Cause, way I look at it, Ansatsu-sama will get himself lots and lots and _lots_ of sacrifices any way ya look at it~" he said, in a tone almost so joyous that that it could be considered…_melodic._

And, to that, Tsu could only pull out a whiteboard, and with it, a crimson marker, writing something on it before tossing it to Ki. The thing hit Ki on the head, in a rather comedic fashion, prompting him to get riled up…well…not before reading what was written on the whiteboard. 'Your worship of your god is going to get us _both_ killed, Ki.', that was what was written on it, in crimson ink no less.

"This coming from the guy known as 'Bad Company' on the bounty hunter circuit?" Ki asked in a sarcastic tone before tossing the whiteboard, not back to Tsu, but into the ocean. Now, dear reader, if it hadn't been for Tsu's quick speed, and rather fast reflexes, the whiteboard would've hit the water, ruining it, but somehow, he managed to save it, nearly tipping over the boat from forcing his weight down on the side of it, combined with Ki's weight from just sitting in it and leaning against the edge. Tsu gave the 'Killer priest' an odd look, before erasing the crimson words with his hand, writing 'Yes, coming from the man known as 'Bad Company', showing it to Ki. No matter how you looked at it…things were certainly going to get interesting for this Bounty Hunter duo…and sooner then one would think, too. Of course, their 'prey' had a few hours to prepare themselves, and if they weren't careful, this could very well escalate into a chase across East Blue.


	7. Cheers

Chapter 7

Cheers

""I know I know…like the 'Shining Shichibukai, Mikhail Blacksheath." The *other* guy named Kizashi Blacksheath said, acting like it wasn't even a big deal as he turned around to prepare a fresh batch of the fries that Kai had yet to actually comment on. Both the captain and his first recruit looked at one another in shock, although it was more for comedic effect more then anything else. You see, dear reader, Kizashi had heard of Mikhail(Author's note: pronounced Mick-Hi-el, like Russian) Blacksheath before, but the link to him and the man had never been that clear before. Infact, the implication of what the man currently preparing a batch of fries just said made his face go pale white…white as a ghost, well, except for his tattoo, it stayed as black as always.

"So um..can I call you Maurice-san instead of Kizashi-san?" Kai asked, breaking the ice for Kizashi. "Cause captain Blacksheath-sama is already named Kizashi." He said, dropping the fact that both the fry cooker and the Captain had the same name. Maurice(as he shall now be known, unless he wants to call himself Kizashi), with a sudden glint of curiosity in his eyes, looked back at the man, an eyebrow raised suddenly.

"…your names Kizashi?" he asked, perhaps, for the first time in a very long while, surprised.

"Yes, the names Kizashi Blacksheath, Captain of the Blacksheath Flames pirate crew, pleased to meetcha!" our hero said, there suddenly a bit of bravado in his mannerisms, placing his hand on the unseen saber handle. He really did like that saber, afterall.

"Lemme guess…dad stayed for a year." Maurice said, stating things in a manner of fact tone out of the blue, breaking the 'oh dear dear but I really don't care' demeanor.

"Yep"  
"You got a saber when you were in jail from an unknown source"  
"Right on the money"  
"Went to a tattoo parlor when you were eighteen and an odd fellow gave you a black dragon tattoo?"  
"Stop telling my life story in public!"

Kizashi screamed comically, his supposed 'brother' just nodding after those words. Apparently, he had actually taken Captain Blacksheath's joke seriously. He picked up a sign from below the counter, placing it outside the shop, on a nail. 'Out because I damn well feel like it. Come back later –The Management'. It read. Kai, for one reason or another, found that extremely funny, although he was hushed by the sudden appearance of Maurice, having already closed the window to the roadside stand. "You want somewhere more private to talk ,eh?" he asked, beginning to walk in one direction, his blue cloak swaying in the wind, and both Captain and 'crew' knew, by some unknown means, this man was seeing where he was going…with his eyes closed. "I know just the place then, follow me but…watch for pirates." He said, so casual in saying that as if he were merely asking Kizashi or Kai to pass him the salt or something like that.

"Ooooh! Pirates!" Kai screamed out, the notion of there being other swashbucklers here perhaps too much for the kid. The lil tyke ran along after our new friend, leaving Kizashi in the dust. Eh, he was a good rear guard anyways, especially if there were pirates about. The trio walked on for quite a while, until the sun was high in the sky over them, before, eventually, coming to a tavern, the sign of which brought a smile to both Kai and Kizashi's face. "Oh you've got to be kiddin' meh." They both said, the good captain picking up Kai's accent for a moment. A bar…this Maurice fellow had brought them to a bar, not a normal bar either. No, this place seemed…cleaner, but, somehow at the same time, much more seedy then your average bar. The perfect place to have a little 'meeting of the minds', so to speak.

"Welcome to my favorite hangout on this island of bums and pirates." Maurice said, opening the doors without even looking, the group walking into nothing short of a full on song and dance. "Cheers." He said, that calm tone _still_ in his voice. Now, things would've gone quite well from here on out…if not for the fact that Kai had jumped in, dancing arm in arm with those other men, as if he were one of the guys. "Mymy, Captain Blacksheath, what an energetic son you have." Maurice chimed in, breaking the silence between the two men.

"Oh! Nono, its nothing like that…" Kizashi spoke, holding his arms up, waving them from side to side as if swatting away the notion of Kai being his son. "I met the little rascal about a week ago, he isn't my son!" Our good captain said hurriedly for some unknown reason.

"Oh…well, you two still seem close." Maurice responded, his tone still calm, as matter-of-fact, as ever. "Maybe I just misunderstood you two's Haki." He continued, sitting down at the bar, ordering some hard Alcohol.

Kizashi soon followed, sitting himself next to his 'brother', he too ordering something strong to drink. "So, you're a Haki user as well?" our hero asked, adopting that calm tone, for the moment.

Maurice didn't say a word, only sitting there, his cloak draping to the floor as he waited on his drink, all the while Kai was singing and dancing in the background, some song about delivering sake. Hardly the stuff you'd expect to hear a seven year old sing. Soon, however, the barkeep came back with the two men's drinks. It was only after downing a solid quart of sake did Maurice speak, looking at Kizashi with those squinted eyes. "Yes, I use Haki. Had to train night and day for five years, but I can do it." He finished, ordering another round of Sake.

"So, we're brothers or something…?" Kizashi asked, blinking at the random nature of that question before he, too, took a nice swig of his drink, although, in all honesty, he was surprised Maurice wasn't stone faced drunk after a chugging a quart of sake.

"I suppose we are…" Maurice said, blowing into his bottle of sake. "So, where did _you_ grow up?" he asked, seeing Kizashi open his mouth, probably to ask the very same question.

"Y'know Neo, down in the South Blue?" Kizashi asked, getting a curt nod from Maurice as a response. "Well, I was born and raised there. Guess our 'Shining' father knocked up my mom after a one night stand or something. Who knows." He said, shrugging as he took another swig of his beverage, before continuing, his tone still remaining as calm as his half brother's. "Mom died when I was seven. Coped by stealing, heck, even formed a gang of orphans. Called ourselves the same thing I plan to call my crew, 'The Blacksheath Flames'. We had some good times, made the local Marines' lives miserable. Hell, even stole from their vault." Kizashi said, giving an adequate window for laughter at his sorry attempt at a joke.

Sadly, none came, leaving him to continue. "But, everything good has to come to an end. Me n' the whole gang got busted. I got it worse though, left in their base to rot. But…well…I got a package, soon after getting in there." He continued, his voice getting…particularly dramatic at this part. "So, I opened it up, and what was in there if not…a Saber." He said, splitting his cloak so that his brother could see the worn out old weapon.

"It doesn't look like you could slice butter with that thing…" Maurice responded.

"Oh, but that's where your wrong, brother." Our friend Kizashi said, leaning back against the bar now, his drink forgotten. He was laying there, completely relaxed. His weapon, and, indeed, the clothes he had on under his cloak fully exposed. "But anyways, there was this note with the stuff." Kizashi continued, flicking the note out casually, whilst looking sideways at his brother.

Maurice took the note casually, somehow seeing the thing despite his eyes being closed. "To Kizashi. If your really my son…use this, the first weapon of the lord of these waters, and fight your way out of hell. Your loving father, Mikhail Blacksheath." He read out loud, talking as if it were a shopping list. "So, our Father gave you the first weapon of some important pirate, and you fought your way out of jail with it?" he asked.

"That'd be _exactly_ right." Kizashi said, an energetic smile on his face. "And, as a bit of a 'fuck you' to the marines, I got a tattoo that day as well. 'course, the fellow giving it to me seemed almost…_fatherly_."

"That'd be because he _likely was_ your dad. Don't you get that?" Maurice asked, his eyebrows forming into a scowl somewhat.

"Geezgeez, I get it. No need to get all pissy." Kizashi finished, falling into a grumble as he said that last sentence. "So, prettymuch the same thing happened to you?"

"Yes." That's all Maurice said as he drank more of his sake, his eyes still closed. "Although, I wasn't a gang leader. My mother was a very, very sickly woman. I had to take care of her for most of my life, in between school and practicing with a weapon. Well…I was falsely arrested. And what would you know…I got a note so similar to your's, although I lost it. But…I have _this_." He finished, pulling up his cloak, before taking a most odd sword out, the thing being so well hidden from sight that Kizashi hadn't even realized the thing was there. It was truly…a remarkable weapon, in the shape of a saber, much like his own. But…the thing that set it apart was…well…a tad hard to describe. So, your humble narrator will be blunt. It was a bundle of Dove feathers, bound together by some unknown means, the edges as sharp as any blade, whilst the center was as hard as tempered steel. Truly…a remarkable sword. "Of course, I didn't use it. Although, having a weapon made it…_much easier._" He finished, leaving that as ambiguous as possible. "And from there, I got a tattoo, on the opposite cheek as your's. From there, I've just wandered around, deciding to open a roadside stand here, lots of money to be made in a town like this…if you know how to manage business properly."

At that last part, Kizashi laughed, turning towards his brother, a smirk on his face. "If that's the case, I believe you'd be interested in a lil proposition of mine." He said, that smile never fading.

"Oh?"  
"Pirating. I need a cook."

And it was then, for the first time since Kizashi had known his brother, that the blond haired fellow laughed, so loud that the entire bar turned their heads.

"Dammit Kizashi, keep yer tone down." A random bar patron that apparently knew Maurice said, before returning to his drink.

"Well, I suppose this place _is_ getting bor-" Maurice said, before getting cut off mid-sentence by the door to the bar getting kicked opened by a tall man, whose short, black hair was a nice contradiction to the sheer size of the rest of him. "Oh…you've _got_ to be kidding me." Maurice said with a sigh, turning back towards the bar-proper.

"Oi! The Inkheart pirates are back! Bring out the beer, lil shrimps." The man said, sounding as cliché as humanly possible. And it was that very fact that caused Kizashi to burst out with laughter, nearly falling out of his barstool as he looked up to the man. This…well…to put it bluntly, this pissed off the man very much, and he walked up to Kizashi, an angry look in his eyes as he said "And what would be so funny, tattoo-boy?"

"First of all…first of all…two things!" Kizashi said, trying to pull himself together as he looked up at the fellow. "My tattoos badass, I know that much for sure. Second, you're the _most clichéd_ guy I have ever had the poor luck to meet. Inkheart pirates? Lil shrimps? Whaddya take us for, _children?_" he asked, Kai chiming in with an angry "Oi!" in the background.

"Shuddup idiot." The man said, continuing to show that he could sound very stupid. "For your information, considering the nature of our Captain, I'd say 'Inkheart' fits us perfectly. And you _are_ a lil shrimp, like it or not."

"Now that…" Kizashi said, standing up, all the while his brother saying 'Oh nonononono' in the background. "Is a point open to debate, eh?" our hero continued, holding the handle of his Saber as if he meant to fight. Everyone in the bar paused, realizing what was about to happen.

"Comon Cap'n Blacksheath! Les' beat up th' badguyehs!" Kai said, jumping in front of his Captain, the two eager for a fight.

Maurice, trying his best to stop the inevitable, was turned around now, trying to calm everyone down, his eyes still squinted closed. "Come on guys! Lets be reasonable about this. And, lets so totally _not_ destroy my favorite bar…please?" he asked, trying to, at least, break the ice.

"Well now…it seems your friend over there has some sense." The man said, a sadistic smile spreading across his face. "Seeking to challenge Futanari, Swordsman of the Inkheart pirates, and his personal entourage is a big mistake."

At that, Kizashi could only grin wider, his grip around the handle of his saber getting firmer and firmer. He knew his next remark would piss the guy off plenty good enough. "Futanari? Like a dickgirl?" he asked, his dark brown hair getting in the way of his eyes.

"Why you little…!" Futanari said in response, drawing a Katana and attempting to slice Kizashi in half with it. Captain Blacksheath's superior speed saved him that day, and before you could even say 'chopped liver', he had already drawn his saber, the two blades meeting in a clash of steel. A circle soon gathered around the little brawl, people cheering on one side or another. The fight between the two-man Blacksheath Flames and a small portion of the Inkheart pirates was on.

To be continued…

Ki and Tsu's journey across the blues, Vol. 2

"Cantchu make this boat go any faster?" Ki asked angrily, nearly strangling Tsu in the process, before our silent friend could manage to get away…somehow. "Dammit, I'm serious…I'd be willing to bet _that they're both at Cheers right now._"


	8. Compromises

Chapter 8

Compromises

Captain Blacksheath's saber and our new friend Futanari's sword met with a distinct _clang_, followed by the two circling away from one another, their eyes never moving losing site of the other. They were in the center of a large, somewhat clear area. The only things there besides the crowd gathered around and the combatants themselves would be the brown, round tables. Kizashi made the next move in this duel, rushing forward, his saber aimed for Futanari's middle. It was a very precise downward thrust that saved the good swordsman's life. And all the while, Kai was managing the fellow's entourage, meaning Kizashi didn't have to worry about them crashing his little party. The good captain and the swordsman's blades clashed quite a number of times then, neither of them gaining any sort of an advantage over the other. That is...until Futanari spoke. "Heh..." the man said, suddenly stopping in his tracks. He held his Katana out to his side, licking his lips as he looked over Kizashi, the arm with the saber in it half hidden by the black cloak. "Well...you may not be a _little_ shrimp afterall..." he said, jutting his arms out with a smile on his face. "But that still doesn't mean..." he said, gripping his Katana with both hands. "That you can compete with the _lobsters._" he screamed, raising the sword high above his head. Something was definitely about to happen...and Kizashi knew it. "Sparrow shot!" he screamed, launching himself at our hero at a high speed. The entire bar was covered in dust for a time.

When it cleared, Kizashi was nowhere in site. "Huh..." Kai, Futanari, and Maurice all said at once. Futanari looked around, seeing nothing out of place. It was almost as if the man had vanished without a trace. "Something isn't right about this..." he remarked....and it was only then that he saw it. There was a gaping hole in the wall, leading outside. "My sparrow shot is indeed powerful...but it wasn't supposed to do _that_." he remarked. To simplify it for your sake, dear reader, the Sparrow shot was simply a fancy name given to a terrifyingly powerful strike Futanari delivered, although the stance and name were something of his signature. Even if Kizashi's weapon had managed to strike up fast enough to attempt to block the strike...he still should've _only_ been cleaved in half. Futanari had to duck his head in order to get through the hole, but he couldn't help but blink at what he saw. Somehow, taking advantage of the fact that everyone was too busy watching Futanari, and Futanari himself was too busy attacking to notice, Kizashi had managed to grab a table, the force of the attack being absorbed by it...but somehow was also pushed back, out of the building. Of course...Kizashi was crushed under it, muttering something weakly as Futanari pulled the table off of him. "You ever heard its unwise to try hero-shit in the middle of a battle, shrimp?" he asked as he stabbed his Katana into the ground right besides Kizashi's face, referring to something that so _obviously_ wouldn't work otherwise.

But then...Kizashi's hand raised, and Futanari found an iron saber being held against his neck. "You ever been told its unwise to underestimate your opponent, _dickgirl_?" he asked, before lunging up, bringing his saber away from the man's neck before slamming his head right into his opponent's, causing him to stumble back momentarily. Kizashi used this window to pick up the man's Katana. "Mistake number two, _dickgirl_." Kizashi said, his voice full of biting sarcasm. "Don't take your hands off of your weapon 'til you know your opponents down for the count." he said, tossing it to him sloppily. If he hadn't been watching, Futanari might not've caught it in time, and then he'd be mincemeat...which wouldn't make good writing material so oh bother. Our friend caught the Katana, and immediately charged towards Kizashi, screaming like a maniac. He held the blade out, obviously about to do some other special move. Kizashi didn't catch the name of it, somehow managing to sidestep the damn thing. Luckily for him, Futanari ran right into a pole, his Katana imbedding itself deep into the wood. He struggled and struggled to pull it out, but to no avail, as he groaned and huffed and puffed. Kizashi just stood there this whole time, laughing his head off at his opponent's stupidity. His Katana was caught in a pole! Now...if he was the kind of fellow who would stoop that low, he could've easily killed him, but where would the fun in that be? No, he just let him get it out, and turn back around and attempt another sloppy strike against him, with both of them out in the middle of the street. Kizashi blocked again...but the two found themselves surrounded by men wielding guns. "So...these were those _pirates_ I heard about." Kizashi said with a smile on his face, as he turned around, looking everyone over before saying "Oi, who here wants to join a pirate crew?~" he asked, not caring for the fact that he had no less then ten guns in his face.

"You idiot...they're trying to kill us!" Futanari screamed, pointing all around with his free arm, causing no less then five guns to be pointed his way.

"No they aren't..." Kizashi remarked. "If they were gonna kill us, we'd already be dead, eh?" he asked, pointing to all the guns around them that had yet to go off on either of them. "Really, these guys are probably just pissed you wrecked their bar up." he said, smiling all the while at Futanari. He was acting quite childish for some ungodly reason.

"You were just as responsible as me!" Futanari screamed, pushing his Katana further and further towards Kizashi, anger clear in his voice.

"Yeah...true, true." Kizashi remarked, forcing his own blade's weight against Futanari's, causing them to get pointed in the direction of one of the men with guns pointed towards them. "If we wanna _stay_ alive, I say we put aside whatever differences started this short squabble and work together to prevent getting shot." he finished. Futanari's only reply was a nod...but both men knew in that instant what to do. Kizashi ducked, whilst Futanari jumped up, high into the air. Time seemed to slow down, as all the men pointed their guns up, out of reflex, towards Futanari. And it was thus that Kizashi managed to slice the tendons in their arms, going around in a circular formation, cutting the four around him. Seeing as they suddenly found themselves unable to use their guns, the Pirates turned tail and fled. Right cowards they were. Futanari lunged down, stabbing one of the remaining men in the chest. He fell down, his wound not mortal, and each of the two men knew what had to be done, dancing between one another in a deadly tango of blades. Somehow, these two men were managing to evade bullet after bullet sent their way, with only two blades managing to defeat gunmen at close range..._pirate_ gunmen no less. Eventually though, a gunshot rang through the air, causing both of the men to turn.

"You two have done good to defeat my lessers...but then again, their guns were second-rate compared to this." the man said, advancing on them with what appeared to be...a close range gun. It didn't look like a rifle, the barrel was too short. And, suddenly, Kizashi and Futanari found themselves being pushed back, having trouble deflecting this man's gunshots. He was wicked fast...and your humble narrator is quite positive both men were thinking of ways to betray the other at that moment. "But then...whats to be expected when you challenge the Captain of the Guntotters...for destroying our favorite bar no less." he said, a bit of emotion in his voice. Apparently everyone on the island loved Cheers. But that didn't matter...the captain and the dickgirl swordsman(at least by Kizashi's reckoning) were facing certain death now...with this odd burst gun about to mow them down...

"Oh no yew don't. Hone Hone no..." a young, familiar voice called out, filled with youthful energy. Kizashi could see a fist, gripped tightly. What appeared to be a layer of bones appeared over it, just before he punched the man in the back of the head, knocking him out cold. "Stronghammah!" the boy said cheerily. Kai! It was Kai! "Heh...looks lie'k ya needed help afterawl, Cap'n Blacksheath." the boy said, Maurice not too far behind him. But then...not too far away, the beating of drums was heard. "Oooooh!~ wonder what in the worwld tha' could beh!"

Tsu and Ki's Journey across the Blues

Vol. 3

"Swim bitch swim!" Ki screamed, two of his overly large scythe's blades between Tsu's neck. He was forcing him at scythepoint to be a human motor for their tiny little boat. "I swear, partner or not, if we're not there in ten minutes your a sacrafice to Ansatsu-sama!" he said, obviously serious. But...luckily for Tsu...the island wasn't too far away...

~~~~And now, a word from the Author~~~~

The secret lives of characters, 1.

Kizashi Blacksheath

Hmm...well, theres not really much to say about him, honestly. Appearance-wise, hes something of your generic cool-looking anime hero, although I certainly hope your opinion of him is better then mine, heh! But, I hope you also get the feeling that theres more to this man then meets the eye, cause by George there is. Character-wise, he resembles a mix of Shanks to a degree, with a good measure of how I'd react to most situations realistically thrown in for good measure. I guess you could say hes something of a Sue at times...but he doesn't have Robin and Nami swooning over him...so I guess he doesn't exactly qualify for Mary-Sue status. But still, theres much yet to be seen from Cap'n Blacksheath...just you wait and see!


	9. Now with 110 percent more inkheart!

Chapter 9

Now with 110% more inkheart!

"Ah wondah what tha is..." Kai remarked as he stood atop Maurice's shoulder. A distant drum was heard, off in the distance, which caused an audible gulp to be heard from the direction of Futanari. Everyone turned to him...expecting him to have the answer they sought, and, oddly enough, they were right about him knowing what that was.

"The captains here..." he said, his face getting pale white.

"Ooooooh~ Is heh realleh strowng? Got a supah special deval fruit weh need to worreh 'bout?" Kai asked, more happy then anything else that someone strong might finally show up.

"Kai, don't get too worked up..." Kizashi said, a smirk spreading across his face. "If hes as big a pushover as dickgirl here we won't even break a sweat." which of course prompted an angry response from Futanari.

But that was largely ignored...and passed over, in favor of listening to what Maurice had to say about the matter. "Supposed Brother, you _do_ realize the Captain of the Inkhearts is Cap'n Jack, the man with the second highest recorded bounty to ever be given in East Blue...right?"

"Wait..." began Kizashi, remembering someone else named Jack. "You mean like _Jack Sparrow_?" he asked, his face almost as full of childlike wonder as Kai's.

Maurice, well, he put his hand to his forehead, sighing as he spoke. "No not Jack Sparrow...we'll never get another one like him...wait...wrong universe in the first place." he retorted, hiding his face in shame for a brief moment...his brother had tricked him into breaking the fourth wall. Damn him.

"But anyways...whats his bounty and has he killed civilians?" Kizashi asked, his composure suddenly back to normal.

"Um..." Maurice remarked, trying to remember it. It was on the very tip of his tongue...until..."Twenty-Five million...and yes hes killed lots of civilians."

And at that, our good Captain couldn't help but laugh at the man that was supposedly his brother. "Hahahahah!~" he chuckled, so loud that most people in the immediate area could hear him...if anyone was around that is. "Okay, so hes the wussy whos killed enough people to earn a big twenty-five mil, probably hasn't had a good fight his whole life...this'll be easy."

"You idiot, Cap'n Jacks feared all across the Blue Seas...his heart is as black as ink, and his blade always strikes home!" Futanari screamed, his short black hair falling infront of his eyes. "And the worst part is..." he gulped again, "We destroyed his favorite bar!"

"So _he'll_ come after _us_?" Kizashi asked, perking his head up in interest, he looked a great deal like a curious cat, but we all know that saying. "Hah! Why didn't you say so in the first place?" he said, his smirk widening...just as a 'Who the _fuck_ messed up Cheers?' was heard in the distance. "Hey Kai..." our Good Captain asked, poking Kai in the tummy, prompting a slight bit of laughter, little kids are ticklish afterall. "Wanna have a little...warmup with those guys before our big adventure?"

"Yew read mah mind cap'n." he said, our shrimpy friend's smile getting bigger by the second. "And Maurice-san, what 'boutchu? Yah can't just sit this heah lil fight owt if yer in the crew." Our secondary hero said, displaying a moment of clarity...yeah.

All Maurice responded with first was a sigh, his squnity eyes looking all around, from Kai, to Kizashi, to Futanari. "I don't like fighting much...why don't we try and talk this out first...or rather, I will." he said, walking at a rather fast rate. Kai jumped off of his shoulder, and the two Blacksheaths and Futanari found themselves...rather interested in how this would turn out, so they followed Maurice as he made his way back towards Cheers, the good fry cook's heavy brown boots leaving imprints in the soft grass. Eventually, they found themselves infront of Cheers...with Cap'n Jack and his entire crew there...numbering around one hundred. The man himself...well, he was no more then five feet tall, but he was dressed in, perhaps, the most overused color of all...Black, from head to toe, with a black cape, black hat, black hair, black beard...everything about him was black...except for the massive Dai-Katana he had, taller then him by a foot. That was pure white. "Good evening Cap'n Jack...would you like fries or anything?" Maurice asked, holding his arms out slightly, in a friendly way.

The Cap'n turned his head, looking over Maurice for a few seconds. "Kizashi..." he said, holding his blade out. "Apparently you were with the people who challenged my crew, the ones who ended up destroying Cheers." he said, a slight snarl in his voice...this could go bad at any moment.

"That I was...I tried to stop him and the boy from fighting with Futanari, but they just wouldn't listen." he said, his voice as friendly as possible. "But, oh great and most feared lord of these seas..." Maurice said, bowing down respectfully as he said that. "I found out that one of them, the scruffy haired one with the tattoo...hes my brother. Well, half-brother, but you get the point. Please...I thought the only family I had was my mother...please...don't kill him...hes new around here. And rather dumb to boot. As for the kid...you know how kids a-" a hand slapped him in the side of the face, so powerful it knocked him down, onto the ground. His pretty blue cloak was covered with mudstains now, and he writhed around a bit, groaning as he got back up. "_Should've known this wouldn't have worked..._" Maurice thought, as that massive Dai-Katana was raised above Cap'n Jack's head. It was going to be over soon.

"If you love this new brother of your's so much, and his boy...then die in their place." Cap'n Jack screamed, as the blade sliced through the air.

_Ping_

Something blocked Cap'n Jack's blade from striking home, and he looked down...and saw that it was no massive sword like he'd always thought that it would require...no...it was a small saber, that looked like it wouldn't last one strike in real combat. "Heyheyhey!" Kizashi said, forcing the blade up, his eyes meeting Cap'n Jack's. "Your fights with me buddy...don't kill my brother over it." he said, taking all of this rather well. "Seriously, for a man with twenty-five mil on his head, your dumb as hell." he said.

"Heh..." Cap'n Jack said, pulling his blade back, falling back ever so slightly, just barely infront of his crew. "Fine! Me n' the boys'll take you on, Blacksheath." he screamed rather dramatically, picking up Kizashi's last name from the fact that he was Maurice's brother. "Lets just hope your less of a pussy then Kizashi!" he said, charging forward, his crew right on his heels. "But..." Kizashi said, stopped for a moment, saber in hand as his cloak blew in the wind. "My names Kizashi too..."

Kai rushed past him, punching one of Cap'n Jack's men in the face as he turned back to Kizashi. "No time fer technical stuff Cap'n Blacksheath, lets kick these dewd's bootehs!" Kai said, standing triumphently on one of the men's heads, his fists firmly planted on the sides of his waist, a smile on his face. As one of the men lunged their blades up at him, he did an acrobatic backflip further into the crowd, slamming his foot into one of the guy's heads, knocking him out cold. Kizashi, meanwhile, slashed his blade at one of the men closest to him, trying to clear a path to Maurice. He had to get him out of here before he could face these guys seriously. But then...as he was about to go for another one, Futanari jumped infront of him, his blade out.

"Blacksheath...you know I have to help out my Nakama. Time for a rematch, then?" he said...and just as he was about to charge Captain Blacksheath...well...someone grabbed him by the back of the head. A blade suddenly appeared out of his stomach, and it sliced down...Seppeku. Or forced Seppeku in this case. Either way...Kizashi's eyes widened. The man that had done it...none other then Cap'n Jack himself.

"Sorry bastard was in my way!" The bad captain muttered, as he, too, advanced upon Kizashi. Our hero just stood there, sighing as he found himself surrounded by a good portion of these men. He found himself surrounded quite a lot, now that he thought about it. But for once...he didn't care. "And besides, he fucked up the bar just as bad as you did." Cap'n Jack said rather angrily, as if trying to justify his actions.

Kizashi hated these serious moments...but he felt one coming on as he closed his eyes, his head lowering to the ground. "Dickgirl was on your crew..." he said, barely more then an angry mutter as he looked up slowly at the man and his other crewmates. "...he only fought me because, more or less, I insulted the honor of his crew..." he said, his breathing getting a slight bit angry. "The only reason...more or less...he died, was defending your damn honor." he screamed, his grip on the saber tightening. He took a step back, getting into a stance as if he were about to perform some great technique. But no...he just stood there for a moment in that position. That small circle of people were standing completely still...nobody moved a muscle. But all around them, the sounds of Kai's fights, of his childish taunting could be heard...but none of that was of the slightest bit of importance. "Your an insult to Captains everywhere." Kizashi said, suddenly rushing forward, at a rather fast speed. It was only sheer speed that saved Cap'n Jack then...only sheer speed that kept him from falling to this crazed man's strikes. "That man may have been my enemy but he was more of a _man_ then you!" Kizashi screamed, slashing at the Captain again. And again, it was only swift swordplay that saved the man's life. Then, for just a few moments, he stopped, looking at the man dead in the eyes. Cap'n Jack was making eye contact with a few of the men behind him. They were about to try something, Kizashi was sure of it. As Cap'n Jack prepared to swing his massive Dai Katana around, our hero ducked, although he still heard a clash of medal from above. He swept around, slicing those men's legs off from the knee and lower with his 'rusty' saber.

"You don't _deserve_ this crew...so I'll happily take it from you." Kizashi said as he stood up, his cloak draping over his shoulder, giving him a somewhat monstrous appearance.

Meanwhile, Kai was having fun with his fight, pounding his opponents with punches and kicks, mainly shortranged versions of some of the attacks of the famous Monkey D. Luffy that he'd heard about from traveling storytellers whom sometimes came to their islands. He heard Cap'n Blacksheath scream about the man not being a worthy captain...of course he wasn't! His cap'n would make mincemeat of that guy, he was sure of it. After a bit, he landed on the ground, turning around. The men were still coming towards him, so he felt that he'd show them what his fruit could do. "Hone Hone no..." he said cheerfully, pointing both of his hands, and their fingers, out. "Machine Gun!" he screamed, as a flurry of his bone bullets flew out, hitting most of the men in their stomachs, legs, places like that. Nothing that'd be fatal. Most of them fell over though, writhing in pain. And the ones that remained standing...well...they could only stare at that kid before them, with his happy-go-lucky smile...a smile he seemed much too deadly for. "Heh! Yew guyehs'll have tah dew bettah then tha' to hurt meh or Cap'n Blacksheath-Sama!" he said, spinning around for a few seconds cheerfully. A loud crash was heard, as if a ship or something had crashed into a concrete building. "Wha...?" Kai asked, more curious then anything as he jumped up, ignoring the men down below completely as he inspected the building that had apparently been hit...by a wrecking ball. "Ah wreckin' bawl...?" our young friend asked, putting his hand under his chin. "Buh...where did tha' come from?" he asked, confused, to be quite blunt.

"Where did that wreckin' ball come from, ya ask?~" a rather energetic voice called out, and the thing got pulled from it's resting spot. It went flying towards this odd looking man, with a mane of grisly white hair and a goatee that seemed to go down to his chest. "Why...it was only launched by the world's most premier wrecking ball enthusiast, First mate of this little crew, Gung-Ho the merciless!" the man screamed, rather hyper. Not as hyper as Kai...but still.

"Gung...ho...th'...merciless..." Kai said, honestly in disbelief. "Yah seem tew noice for tha' nickname. How 'bout...Gung-Ho the Wreckin' Ball." our little hero said, a rather happy smile on his face at his own ingenious ability to think up nicknames.

"Hmm...good but no." the man said, smiling cockily. "For I am the most unmerciful of unmercifuls on this here little crew, I butchered no less then a hundred men to get where I am now...you'd best run while you can."

"Are yew just tryin' to avoid a figh'?" Kai asked out of the wild blue, even though it was, in all honesty, a good question.

As a way of answer, Gung-ho launched his wrecking ball towards Kai, granted, it didn't hit him. Our hero jumped ontop of the thing as it made it's return trip, running along the chain. When he reached the First Mate, he punched the man in the side of the face...and instead of falling over, he just cracked his neck, butting Kai off of his chain as the ball returned, crushing the building underneath them. Gung-ho launched it into the ground, using the ball on the ground, plus the momentum of the chain to launch himself towards another building, pulling the ball free from the ground as he landed. Kai had quite a fun fight ahead of him. Oh boy did he! "Heh managed to take one of mah hits!!" the lil shrimp said, almost as giddy as a schoolgirl. He had jumped to another building, of course...and he made something most unusual from the bones inside him...a baseball bat. "Heh! This here'll be a fun lil game of basebawl! Batter'up!" he said, waiting for Gung-ho to swing the ball again.

"Hoho! I like your style kid...maybe you oughtta give up this gig as that Blacksheath man's monkey and become my apprentice in the ways of unmercifulness...I bet you'd be great at that stuff!" Gung-ho said, as he swung his wrecking ball around and around, getting ready to launch it at Kai regardless.

"Heck no! Wah would ah join yew when yah can't even beat meh!" our young hero responded rather confidently, jumping onto the edge of the building as Gung-ho released the chain, the thing flying towards him. Kai swung his bone baseball bat, the thing breaking on the hard iron of the wrecking ball...but not before sending it flying upwards, carrying Gung-ho with it. Now, Kai was a rather silly kid sometimes...but he knew that it'd be best to end this fight sooner rather then later...which is what prompted him to jump up, his fist outstretched. "Kaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaito..." he screamed as he neared Gung-ho, the ball kept him rather low. "Boom-boom!~" he said, smashing him in the side of the stomach, before running up the man's body midair, smashing his skull with the palms of his hands. But...he'd miscalculated.

"Hah! That was a good attack too!" Gung-ho said, probably feeling mildly nauseated from head trauma as he lurched his arm up, the chain soon following. The thing somehow managed to wrap itself around Kai, leaving him in a very sticky situation. "Hmm...wha' in the worwld do ah do nao?" he asked as both he and Gung-ho fell back to earth.

Kizashi, well, he beaten more or less his half of the crew, leaving only Cap'n Jack. "Not so high n' mighty now, eh Cap'n?" Kizashi asked sarcastically, trying to provoke his opponent. But it didn't work so well, leaving him to have to do the rushing, slashing wildly at the Captain, to and fro. The two were, more or less, equally matched, and they both knew it.

But, suddenly, out of nowhere, a rather odd scythe appeared, landing on the ground next to Cap'n Jack. "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~ TSU! LOOK WHO I FOUND!" A rather...scary voice screamed, stopping both of the Captains dead in their tracks. They looked around to see...a man in black priests robes walking towards them, the most wicked smile a man could wear upon his face. "A healthy sacrafice for Ansatsu-sama! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" the man said, rushing toward the scythe at such a speed that neither Kizashi nor Cap'n Jack could keep up with him. When that arm reached up, after picking up that scythe, one of the captains found themselves in a rather odd position. Cap'n Jack looked, shaking in his boots as he found himself against a wall, two of the scythe's three crimson blades resting on his shoulder. "You want in a lil secret 'fore I sacrafice your worthless life for Ansatsu-sama, maggot captain?~" the man asked, his grin only getting wickeder. "This scythe, when I got it, the blades were as white as your pussy blade. It was fuckers like you that made 'em red with blood. NOW DIE!" he screamed, slashing to the left, cleaving the head off in one clean motion. He then turned back to Kizashi, remarking "AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! LOOK WHOS NEXT!~" now...he didn't scare Kizashi as much as he had the recently deceased Cap'n Jack...but still.

But just then, a whiteboard flew off of a rooftop, hitting him on the head. "YOW! Tsu why'd you do that?" he asked, before looking down, grinning again at what it said. 'I've got the kid...you can deal with the Captain.' "I was planning on it anyways, the more bodies the merrier~!" the man said, advancing on Kizashi rather speedily...before suddenly stopping. "Wait, you know what? You gave us a good show...have a free hit." the priest said, grinning as he eased his grip on his weapon, slouching. Kizashi didn't waste any time, charging forward and thrusting his saber at his new opponent's chest. It slid right between two of his ribs, he hit something, he knew it! But then...he felt a hand grip his saber...and pull it in. When it was right down to the handguard and the bit that the priest had held onto, he looked up at Kizashi, grinning wildly, saying "Kikisemaru, Priest of Ansatsu-sama." Now this...was quite the pickle, especially considering that the priest seemed to be raising his odd scythe...for the killing blow.

To be continued...


	10. Sword Dancer and Blood Priest

Chapter 10

Sword Dancer and Blood Priest

"Lemmeh go!" Kai said angrily, struggling against the grip of the blue haired man that had, with almost _no_ difficulty at all, defeated Gung-ho, and since he was already wrapped up in chains at the time, well, getting _him_ wasn't difficult at all. "Ya hear meh, lemmeh go! Nao!" he screamed, struggling against the man's grip. The man looked down at the child, his...oddly feral eyes taking in every detail of his appearance, but he didn't say a single solitary word to him. His words weren't for the ears of a _child._ Or his partner for that matter. Or the Captain his partner was fighting, or anyone on that island for that matter. But all that was for another time. For now he had a good show to watch, or he would if the child would quit his protests. "Hey! You listinen' to meh!?~ I said lemmeh go girleh-hair!" Kai said in, more or less, anger, pointing out how the neat, cleaned hair that spun back into a greasy, wild rat-tail that trailed down his back looked...quite girly. But, for the moment, Kai figured that protesting wouldn't be such a good idea. Instead, he asked, "Oi, mistah girleh hair, whats your name?", with an innocent tone in his voice of course. The man didn't answer back, so much as he carved It into the ground with the end of a katana-blade. 'TSU' was what he wrote. "Tsu..." Kai muttered, he'd heard of a lot of people who had that as a _nickname._ It was probably short for something.

But, the _real_ action was down below, for Kizashi had to make a decision within the span of a few seconds, run away without his blade, duck and risk 'Kikisemaru' still slicing him up, or try and rip his blade free. He made his decision, it probably wasn't the best one, but he did, as he swiftly jumped back, leaving his saber sticking out of Ki's upper torso. Of course, he just barely managed to avoid having his back ripped to shreds, and his cloak got ripped up a little, right in the middle, very noticeable. "Aw...why'd you have to go and ruin the cloak?" Kizashi remarked, back to his usual non-serious mood now that Cap'n Jack was dead.

"Shut the fuck up _dumb shit_." the killer priest said, holding that huge scythe with one hand, with little to no difficulty no less. "Seriously, what kinda stupid shit leaves his saber sticking out of an immortal opponent's chest? Hope Ansatsu-sama doesn't mind a stupid sacrifice _AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~" _He said, rushing again, in something of a berserker rage as he slashed wildly at Kizashi, trying, rather dumbly, to kill the main character of the story. Granted, he didn't even know he was _in_ a story but still...the main character never dies...except in Psycho. But anyways, it was only due to the fact that Kizashi had the adrenaline pumping from his fight with the pirates and Cap'n Jack that he was managing to dodge the priest.

"Why in the world do you even want me dead, I don't have a bounty or anything!" said Kizashi, as he was getting pushed farther and farther back.

"Why? Why do I even need a reason? Killing peoples fun!" Ki said, his wicked smile growing broader with every passing minute. Kizashi knew he'd run into a wall in a minute, so he figured...why not take a risk now? And taking a risk is exactly what he did, rushing forward, in a most odd way, like something out of a ninja movie, leaping high off the ground, seeming to defy gravity for a few seconds, doing a rather uncharacteristically acrobatic maneuver, grabbing his blade mid jump, landing cleanly on the other side of Ki. "God dammit you cheated, the only one that was supposed to be athletic was the shrimp." he said angrily, remembering how the boy's mother had described Kizashi as 'somewhat slow, but talented with a saber.'

"Well, I like to call it the Kai D. Karasu special!" Kizashi said, making a heroic pose...which Ki took full advantage of, rushing Kizashi whilst laughing like a madman. Kizashi, too, lunged forward, although he thought about what he was going to do for a second, slashing diagonally. The way he figured it, if he could stop the middle blade, he could manage the other two. The middle scythe blade and Kizashi's saber met in a clash of metal, both men struggling to keep a footing, although Ki was clearly stronger, gradually pushing Kizashi back. "Oh no you don't!" Kizashi screamed, cutting through the air towards the upper blade, managing to knock Ki off-balance for just a second...and that was all he needed to deliver a deep cut to the priest's chest, almost deep enough to expose bones.

"Ah...so good that you _finally_ drew blood." Ki remarked, as crimson blood oozed out. He dipped his finger into the wound, soaking the tip of his middle finger in it, before licking it off with a mad look in his eyes. "_NOW DIE! AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!~_" He screamed again, charging forward, faster then before. Too fast for Kizashi to see. This was it for him...his main character status wouldn't save him now. Just as the blade was about to strike him, he closed his eyes...and nothing happened. He opened them again to see Maurice standing just infront of him, good as new, with a foot imprint on his face. He was holding Ki back with his blade of feathers...quite odd really.

"Oh no you don't Ki." he said, his eyes opened slightly, revealing that they were a dark shade of blue, although Kizashi couldn't see that.

"I thought you were a Pacifist!" Kizashi said, remembering how his brother had refused to fight Cap'n Jack.

"Brother...when your fighting an opponent that _won't_ die before his time, no matter how much you slice him up, exceptions can be made." he said, turning his head back towards Kizashi slightly, a lock of his golden blond hair getting in his eyes. He jumped back, til he was right besides his brother.

"Hoho, the Brothers Blacksheath eh?" Ki remarked, remembering the lady on Sheepshape telling him that the man he was hunting's last name was Blacksheath.

"Actually, we're the brothers _Kizashi_ Blacksheath...our father had a brain-fart and knocked up two different women...naming both of the children the same thing." Maurice said back, his blue poncho-like cloak swaying in the wind.

"You think I give a shit about technical stuff like that? Fuckin' _die!" _Ki screamed again, charging the brothers, the playing field was somewhat even now. Kizashi took his usual stance, holding his blade out like a wizard about to cast a spell with a wand. Maurice's posture was much more elegant, formal, holding the feather-sword out to the side. Both of the brothers, as if they'd known each other their whole life, rushed forward, their movements in unison. Kizashi to the left, Maurice to the right, they circled Ki, dodging his scythe-swipes, before they both stabbed him in his shoulderblades, causing him to scream "YOW! Kizashi that hurt, and not in the _good_ way!" he said, speaking to Maurice.

"How in the hell do you two even know each other?" Kizashi asked, as Maurice was probably about to explain his blade's secrets in full...which wouldn't have been a wise move by someone so 'smart'.

"Hes my favorite cook on this shitty island...which makes it all the more of a shame that I have to _kill_ him." Ki said...and thats when Maurice thought up of how to get out of this without anymore swordstrokes.

"So, you like killing, a whole lot?" Maurice asked, knowing the answer.

"In the name of Ansatsu-sama and good fun, hell yeah."

"So...what would you do if I told you I knew of a way to get a killcount beyond your _wildest_ imagination?"

"I'm listening..."  
"My brother...hes starting a pirate crew. One that I _know_ is going to amount up to something more then these twobit thugs you always capture."

"Thats what they _all_ say!"

"But hes heading for the _Grand Line_...you'll get top of the line sacrifices there."  
"Does he even have a damn boat?"

"Raft apparently."

"Oh great, _everyone_ uses rafts these days."  
"Yes...well...if you join us we can use Cap'n Jack's bounty money to buy a boat."

"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Your kidding me, right? Use _our _bounty money to help _you_ guys?"  
"But you'll get premium kills...and free fries."

"..."  
"Free fries?"  
"Yessir."

"OI TSU! WE'RE IN A PIRATE CREW NOW!" Ki called out, smiling like a madman. Kills and Fries...thats all a man like him needed.

Kizashi blinked, finding that, on just one island, his Crew number had jumped from two to five. Maurice...Ki...and that 'Tsu' fellow. He was happy about it...and that meant that he didn't have to fight anymore with that mad dog of a priest...so it was all good. Up above, Tsu dropped Kai, sighing at the realization of what his partner had gotten him into. Both the child and the man jumped down, landing on the street. "Heheh, Maurice-san got his some good crewmembahs...even if they're ah wee bit...unorthodox. So wait...does that mean that th' priest is first mate or somethin'?" he asked, looking up at Blacksheath, then to Ki.

"Nah...I'll be the crew's Padre. Never know when the mood to make a confession to Ansatsu-sama could hit you!" he said, now a tad bit calmer.

Kai winced at the thought of how that would turn out.

"Father Ki...ah have a confession to make...ah broke a homeless guy's bottle of booze."  
"Did ya kill the Homeless man?"  
"Nu...?"

"THEN DIE, AHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

The mere _thought_ of it made the area that would get struck by the scythe start hurting...hopefully Ki wasn't as two-dimensional as he'd appeared during the fight with the Blacksheath brothers. What was said next, well, it was a spur of the moment thing by Kai. "Oi! Blacksheath-sama, then yew oughtta make Tsu-sama th' first mate...hes really strong!" he said enthusiastically, jumping up and punching the air, as if he were demonstrating some point that only he understood.

Kizashi looked over at Tsu, a slight smirk crossing his face. "Heh..." he said as he looked the man over. He was taller then himself, Maurice, and Kai, and only slightly shorter then Ki. There was something about him...something odd, intimidating. He seemed to be a man on a mission, as if some great purpose strung him along from day to day. In other words, the kind of guy he'd want on his crew. "Yeah, that sounds good Kai. How does First Mate Tsu sound to ya buddy?" he said, extending a hand out to Tsu. The eagle-eyed swordsman looked at the hand, staring at it...that same analytical look he'd given Kai. It was as if, in his mind, some great battle was being waged over whether to join or not. But, eventually, he extended a gloved hand, even though the part where the fingers went were sliced off, probably for greater mobility. He shook Kizashi's hand, accepting the offer in a most symbolic manner.

"Okay, Blacksheaths!" Kizashi said confidently, turning to his slowly growing crew. "Ki, Tsu. You guys are bounty hunters, go take Cap'n Jack's corpse, and anyone else with a bounty on their heads in his crew thats dead or wounded that you know of...we need all the bellis we can get. Kai, Maurice...lets go to the docks and prepare our rafts for departure. We can't stay here for much longer." He said, everyone nodding, understanding their role.

"Where is our destination bro- Captain?" Maurice asked, knowing he had to address his Captain as such now.

"First of all-Call me whatever ya want Brother." he said, his usual smirk on his face. But...we're heading to an island, about three days from here, where I hear the best Shipwright in the East Blue lives...we're gonna need a bigger boat if we're gonna travel the world!" he said enthusiastically. "But, comon Brother, Kai, lets get to the docks!"

"Hai!" Kai said energetically, falling in right behind Kizashi, on the right.

"Indeed..." Maurice said, his eyes squinted again as he gently walked alongside Kai, on Kizashi's left. There were many more adventures ahead of them, this was just one small step on his journey, but Kizashi couldn't help but be as giddy as a schoolgirl, his crew was coming together so nicely. The sun was about to set...at least they'd get on the road...erm...on the seas before dark.

The Space Cowboy arc: End

To be continued...

~~~~The Secret Lives of Characters(2)~~~~

Tsu

Well now...here we have one of my favorite characters out of this whole thing, mainly due to the stuff you haven't even seen yet! Well, some explaining in order to make sense of future events, in a move much like the crew placement of the Straw Hats, hes a swordsman. You see, hes a roleplay character I've used for a while now, so theres actually a picture of him! Shame I can't show it to any of you...but! I imagine his mannerisms and face somewhat differently, so I'll tell you 'bout those now. Physically, underneath his clothes, I imagine him looking a great deal like The Captain from Hirano-Sensei's _Hellsing _in the face and expressions_, _with just a tiny bit of Cabaji's(the canon character) stare added in, only more blank, full of determination. His personality is based off of the 'Silent Ronin' of certain Japanese stories, on a mission but never speaking of it, or anything else for that matter, to anyone! As with most of the Blacksheaths, expect great things from him, lemme tell ya!


	11. Sail on, dear raft, sail on

~~~~And now, a word from the Author~~~~

Wow...I can't believe I'm on the double digit chapters! I know that isn't a lot by fanfic, or even story-standards, but to me it still feels like an achievement! All I can say is...well...thanks to everyone whos read this far, and to those who've encouraged me and said the story was good and stuff like that! May we one day see this here story reach _triple_ digits! Up, up, and away!

Chapter 11

Sail on, dear raft, sail on

It was the next day, with sea all around them, that we next join the Blacksheaths. Everyone was quiet for some reason, each person lost in their own thoughts, even the lovable loudmouth Kai. If they kept this up, well, it wouldn't make for a very good fanfic! Certainly not! "Hmm..." Maurice said, squinting his eyes even further as he looked down at a pocketwatch he had, somehow seeing that it was around twelve thirty in the afternoon. "I believe that it is time for Lunch...hope you guys don't mind fries!" he said, his voice filled with a sort of...timid, yet oddly playful mood on the last part, instead of his usual intelligent mannerisms. All he'd brought along with him, the only relics of his old life, were a giant cooking pot, filled with an ever hot batch of grease that he managed to carry around, enough food and drinks to last them until they got to the island his brother had spoken of, his trademark feather sword, and, of course, the clothes on his back and a spare suit that looked almost exactly like it. Nobody made any objections to his lunch suggestion. Maurice took out a rather large pack of the fries from the bag his possessions were packed in, setting the pot down off of his back. The thing weighed so much it was almost enough to sink the raft that he, his brother, and Kai were sitting in, Tsu and Ki having more or less demanded they take along their own raft.

"Former Bounty Hunters only!" Ki had said when Kai tried to jump in, with Tsu writing 'Yes, former Bounty Hunters only.' Kai had then moved mumbling to a corner of the Blacksheath raft, a bit defeated...or so it seemed. As the sound of the grease sizzling as the fries were poured in was heard, Kai's head jerked up, smelling the aroma of the fries. "Friez!" he said, smirking broadly. He hadn't been really paying attention when Maurice had offered to make some earlier. He jumped up, landing on the rim of the pot, shaking the boat as he breathed in the aroma. "Ah...nothin' quite like a good pot 'o friez..." he lamented. "Except a baked potato...but methinks Maurice-san doesn't have any of those. Dang it." he muttered. A few minutes later, almost without any thought whatsoever, he pulled the bones of his wrists out, new ones being made instantly. He modified them as he'd pulled them out though, so they were like a pair of tongs, and he jerked it into the pot, getting a fry out and eating it, the thing, while it was still scalding hot. "Hmm..." Kai said, testing the fried potato's taste. "Yummeh as eva!" he said, his accent not getting in the way of the fact that he spoke the truth. "So Blacksheath-sama, where exactleh are weh goin'?" the boy asked, his eyes full of curiosity.

Kizashi looked up, his eyes having been focused in the end of his saber for a few seconds, blinking at Kai. "Well..." he said, as three pairs of eyes and one pair of squinted eyelids fell upon him. "Theres this island, a city-island, Cansa. Its the second biggest port in the East Blue...I bet you two have been there." he said, talking about Ki and Tsu.

"Plenty of times. Lots of pirates go there for the same purpose we are." Ki remarked, Tsu remaining ever quiet, focusing on whatever point Kizashi was going to make.

"Well, way I see it, we may as well go there _now_, with our thirty-three million bellis, before we get bounties that'll attract unwanted attention." he said, turning and observing each of the three men and the boy. "Y'see, if we're gonna be pirates, lets get all this set up before we do any proper _piratin'_, since we need a boat...some cannons. A few more people if we're heading for the grand line. Hell, brother here may be a good fry-cook, but we can't live on that stuff forever, we'll catch scurvy!" he said, only _halfway_ joking. "And we need a navigator too. A _proper _one, of the professional grade. On the grand line, things won't be _nearly_ as easy as they are now, navigation-wise. For that matter, if we even go into another _ocean_ things won't be as easy as they are now. The East Blue waters are easy to sail compared to the _others_." he continued, scratching his head as he said the last few words. "So um...any ideas for any candidates?" he asked, waiting on any answers.

Almost instantly, Tsu slid his arms down, grabbing his signature whiteboard and writing something down on it, with a crimson marker. Kizashi waited patiently, seeing Maurice take up the fries as he did so. Eventually, Tsu tossed the whiteboard to Kizashi, who read Tsu's words out loud. "I think I might know someone, if we could find a way to collect him. We will speak more on this matter once we have our boat, Captain." he said, before looking up at his new first mate. He didn't look like the type to have...well...pretty handwriting. "Heh, sounds good to me, shouldn't be another two days and we'll have our boat being made on Cansa...hopefully."

"Blacksheath-sama..." Kai said, looking up at his Captain. "Yew know as wewl as ah do that things won't go tha' well, not by ah lowng shot." he continued, pointing out how _nothing_ seemed to go as planned these days. "Probableh, someones gowna show up, attack th' island, mess everything up when weh think we're gowna get ih easeh...not that ah mind tha is!" he said, cracking his knuckles as if he were going to fight someone then and there.

"_Jeez...these guys certainly have an overload of testosterone...what a bother._" lamented Maurice, so quiet that none of them could hear. He was quite right, everyone seemed eager for a fight but him, which meant that if it came to a vote like a proper pirate crew would do about any course of action, chances were anything would end up four to one. "_Although, Brother is showing a surprising amount of sense. Its amazing that he doesn't want to just charge headfirst into battle with the Marines and unarmed civilians unprepared._"

"Incidentally..." a voice said, as a most odd creature popped up on his shoulder. Chances were only he could see the odd little thing, or at least he hoped that was the case. It was garbed in a tan trenchcoat, with smart pants and a fedora. "chances are he'll do that anyways. He _is_ only nineteen afterall..." it said, before disappearing. Most odd...

~~~~Two days later~~~~  
"Nonono, your completely wrong." Ki said, talking shop with Kai about fighting, killing, and other such topics. "The most effective way to kill a fucker is to slice him open with a large, over the top weapon like my scythe."

"Nuh-uh! Yew gottah be able to go all 'POWPOWPOW' at th' righ' area if ya wanna make someone a deader!" Kai said, punching the air to demonstrate the force of his pow. "Yew know, lieak through th' 'ead or th' 'eart! Maybeh a one-two to th' kidnehs!" he said, displaying a rather grotesque knowledge for someone so young.

"Oh true, true. But a person wouldn't last very long if three blades ripped 'em a new one, now would they?" he asked, holding his scythe out, pointing out how if he got it into a person good, they were...well...screwed.

"Hmm..." Kai said, looking over the scythe. "Ah'll 'ave to give this some thowt...hope ah can trah out what ah just thought up own someone soon..." he said, having just thought of something.

The Blacksheath brothers, meanwhile, were busy making preparations, drawing out specifications of the ship that they were going to request the shipwright to make for him...before Maurice asked a question.

"So...what can you tell me about this guy anyways?"

"Well..." Kizashi said, trying to remember what all he'd been told. "Y'see, his name is Asa Gohan, the youngest of the Gohan Brothers. I hear his two big brothers are real famous Shipwrights on the grand line, but luckily for us, this guy decided to set up office in the East Blue...guess he wanted to milk newbie pirates for all their worth...pretty damn convenient for us."

"So basically, we're going to get this guy to build us our ship, complete with Jacuzzi and minibar stocked with paralyzers and ruffies for when you find attractive ladies on the islands we visit, and get upgrades and repairs from his brothers if we have runins with them on the grand line, but otherwise ignore the ship's upkeep completely?"

"Yeah that sounds about right."  
"..." Maurice said, being quiet for just a moment. "Surely you can't be serious that we're going to leave our new ship totally unrepaired in between the individual Gohan brothers. If we even encounter them, that is."  
"I _am_ serious...and don't call me Shirley."  
"But I _will_ call you an idiot, brother."

Tsu, meanwhile, had been sitting in his corner of the boat, taking his meals and drinking his share of water quietly, never saying a word to anyone. The silence was annoying Kizashi, really. All he ever did was sit there in his corner admiring Katanas that didn't have scabbard. Although, truly, Kizashi had never seen blades like those in his life. One had orange patterns on it, mixed in with the gray of steel, looking like the teeth of some horrible, prehistoric creature ready to pounce on it's prey, with the wrappings on the hilt being, well, from what he could tell...blue, underneath a good deal of white wrapping that Tsu kept over it for some unknown reason. The other one, well, it was patterned in the exact opposite way, with blue teeth patterns painted on the blade, although, then again, they didn't exactly look like they'd been _painted._ But, well, chances were he'd never hear about those blades, per se, since Tsu never talked. Oh well...he'd certainly know when he saw him in action.

Those eyes though, the eyes that looked up at him when Tsu noticed Kizashi was eyeing him and his swords though, those eyes honestly scared him. They looked like they belonged on a Velociraptor, not a human being. Our hero couldn't help but look away, Tsu returning to peering down at his Katanas.

And then...at around the same time, all five of the Blacksheaths noticed something off in the distance. Barely just a speck...but clearly their destination.

"Hey..." Kizashi said, blinking as he saw it. "You guys see that?"

"Yeah."  
"Of course."  
"Yesh!" (Author's footnote: one internet if you can guess who said which.), with Tsu just giving a nod that he saw it. Soon...they'd have their ship! Or maybe not in a plot twist! Who knows, but find out in a future installment of...The life and Adventures of Kizashi Blacksheath!

~~~~Myoushu's Oddessy(1)~~~~

On an island, far across the seas of East Blue, in one particular bar, a man sat drinking. He was, unlike the normal people that surrounded him, slightly taller then the norm. Well, okay, much taller then the norm. About a head taller then a normal man actually, but by the standards of the world he lived in, that wasn't that much. He was shrouded in all black, because in his line of work, he moved around in the dark a lot. Before you get to assumptions, dear reader, he was no assassin, but rather...a _hunter_. Of what, you ask? We'll get to that later, but for now, just know that he is not someone to be messed with...as some people on this island were soon to find out.

"Hey, you hear about the execution thats gonna take place?" a man asked the bartender of this little shindig, sipping on his beverage.

"Mhm, they say they're just a group of children that the marines heard talking about overthrowing the world government. If I were a bettin' man, which I'm not, I'd be willing to wager they were just playing a game of Pirates and Marines. 'Tis a sad day when Marine Paranoias getting _this_ bad." the man lamented, causing the man's head to turn slightly, his muddy brown eye looking at the men.

"What, they fear one of 'em might grow up to be the next Pirate King or something?" the man asked in return, laughing slightly at the matter. "I've seen several of those kids, hell, none of _them_ will turn out like Monkey D. Luffy or Gold Roger." the man said...and everyone in the bar had to agree, he had a point. "But besides...its a little too much to execute little boys." he continued. "...and what the hell are you doing staring at me, Darkie?" he asked, calling the man that due to his dark appearance.

The man stood up, a giant swordhilt now visible on his back. He tossed some bellis by the half-empty glass of mead he was drinking, before walking out, not answering the man's question. That conversation had been all too obligatory. Perhaps...well, perhaps he'd get a good show today. Or perhaps he'd find his prey. Who knows, mayhaps a good fight would come his way as well. A half an hour later or so, he saw a crowd start to gather around a stage with a large pole on it, with five boys tied to it, straw all around. There were several marines up on the stage, one of them talking to the crowd about something, torch in hand. "And may this serve as a warning to all who would oppose the ma-" he said...before an arrow went right through his eye. Almost immediately, another marine made to toss his own torch, before two arrows were launched from the mysterious crossbow, killing the marine and deflecting the torch.

With that, the mysterious man who, yes, was the source of the arrows, rushed forward, pulling his great sword off of his back, literally tearing a man in two, blood getting on himself and on the terrified children. There were three other marines, and they tried to surround him, torches in one hand, sabers with golden handguards in the other. It was a dumb move though. His sword was large, larger then he was, and it was big enough to be that with one whirlwind maneuver, all three men were dead, decapitated. However...their torches rolled into the straw, lighting it on fire. With sword in hand, the large warrior jumped up, slashing the pole, just below the children's feet, the great chunk of wood falling down to the ground, somehow avoiding injuring any of the children. The warrior jumped down, using a knife to cut them free. All the children looked up at him, his face concealed by the shadow cast by the flame, except for his eye, which, even though he was more or less at ease, was still rather scary. "You kids are free now..." he said, speaking for the first time. "Be more careful about what you say. _Not that its any of my business..._" he said, before starting to walk off. From behind him, he heard a child speak, asking him what his name was. "...Myoushu." he said, feeling it wouldn't hurt to tell the child his name. He didn't even turn his head as he said it, he just kept on walking...

To be continued...


	12. Blondie on Cansa

Chapter 12

Blondie on Cansa

As the Blacksheath crew's two rafts approached the city island of Cansa, Maurice stood up, in the perfect center of the boat occupied by he, his brother, and Kai, his squinted eyes somehow managing to see the island infront of him. "Oi brother, sit down before you tip the boat over!" Kizashi said, before his brother held up a finger, meaning 'quiet down'.

"There are marine ships in port, I think it'd be best, even if we're technically 'heroes' to split up so as to avoid attention. Four men and a boy walking towards the business office of the most well-known shipwright in the East Blue would seem suspicious." he said, before sitting down, smiling his usual odd smile. "But um...all of thats just my opinion. Your the captain so you could make us all dress up like clowns and yelp and jump around you while you stroll right up to his office if you want. _Not that anybody but Kai would actually listen to that order._

"Oh no, I think your right." Kizashi said, remembering how the marines based on his home island liked to accost groups of more then two, standard tactics. "Pirate paranoias at it's height these days, here and everywhere else. And hell, they'd hit the nail on the head of they accused us of being such." he continued, pointing out that their eventual goal _was_ to eventually engage in pirate activities. "So!" he said, jumping up in such an over the top manner that it nearly tossed Maurice and Kai out of the boat. "Who wants to go with me to talk to that ole' geezer 'bout our ship?" he asked, smiling from ear to ear.

"Oooooh! Meh! Meh!" Kai said, holding his hand up.

"I'm personally thinking of exploring on my own for once. Who knows what kinda criminals I might run into down some shadowy alleyways. _Cause these local police forces don't give a shit about murders._" Ki said in a rather happy manner.

Tsu, well, he shrugged. He didn't really care about going to see a shipwright, but he wasn't in the mood to go Bounty Hunting with Ki, especially since, at least as it seemed to Tsu anyways, that the priest just used it as an excuse to get more kills for 'Ansatsu-sama'.

"Um..." Maurice said, unsure of what to do. "Hey Tsu, you wanna explore the island with me?" he asked, smiling just a little. He couldn't believe he was asking the group's quietest member to go exploring with him. And, much to his surprise, our blue-haired friend nodded. "Heh, so I guess me and him'll be the 'scouts' or something. _Wow, he seemed the lone wolf type to me, more or less._"

"Heh...well, guess everyone's minds made up about what they're going to do then." Kizashi said. Now, all they had to do was just wait for their boat to pull into port and pray that the marines didn't ask for Tsu or Ki's autograph, they'd be something akin to heros now, after 'capturing' Cap'n Jack. "_That guy wasn't worth twenty-five mil, not by a long shot. Wonder who he pissed off to get that bounty." _Kizashi thought, noting how that was the second-highest bounty to ever be given in the East Blue. "_All in all, he wouldn't have lasted a single island on the grand line...not that I think we'll fare any better, in-between the two seemingly battle-hungry ex bounty hunters, the pacifist thats apparently my brother, and a child I met no more then two weeks ago that worships the ground I walk on...with a bone devil fruit, led by a guy like me, who can't keep a consistent personality for more then five minutes."_ our hero thought, which, conveniently, covered the time that the boat was making it's way towards the island. Maurice jumped off, tying a rope around...whatever that thing was called, Kizashi wasn't that familiar with sailor terms. Quite ironic, really. His brother then did the same for Tsu and Ki's raft, saving them the trouble. With their boats fastened, the Blacksheaths all hopped out, each of them happy to be on dry land. "Okay Blacksheaths!" Kizashi said, his voice as haughty and full of confidence as ever. "Lets all have some fun while we're here, and hopefully get a ship that'll carry us safely to Lougetown and beyond!" he said happily, before running off with Kai, probably heading towards that Gohan fellow's office.

"How he knows where it is is a mystery to me..." Maurice muttered. Ki had ran off as well, while he was thinking, leaving him and Tsu alone at the docks. "Hah...so then, shall we go exploring while my brother negotiates prices?" our dear space cowboy asked, prompting Tsu to shrug. "I'll just take that as a yes." he said, walking off down a street crowded with houses, and people heading in every direction. Surprisingly, however, there was still elbow room. The swordsman was following him though, so at least if someone tried to mug him or something, he'd have backup. "You know, theres a million and a half things I would like to ask you." Maurice said, undoubtedly speaking to Tsu. Of course, he didn't say anything back, just continuing to walk at his marching pace. "Like, for instance, why did a guy like you pair up with a person like Ki, you're polar opposites in some ways it seems." he said, pointing right to the heart of the matter. Now, Tsu continued to not speak a word, but he pulled out his whiteboard, continuing to walk as he wrote something down in his usual crimson marker. 'Honest Answer? Most, if not all, the people I've partnered up with in the past have died, either in the blade wind of my attacks, or at the hands of an enemy they weren't prepared to face. To the point that

I have been given the nickname of 'Bad Company' in the bounty hunter circuit. Ki, hes different. The unkillable man, and therefore, my perfect partner.' he wrote, before tossing it to Maurice.

The good fry-cook read it, somehow, with his eyes still closed, although Tsu noticed that he was sniffing the air around the whiteboard. "Oh. That makes a lot of sense." Maurice said, smiling that usual half-hearted smile of his before tossing the whiteboard back. Somehow, they'd walked quite a piece, finding themselves at a park on the island. Maurice guessed it was a place used for Recreation and the like. He sat down on a bench, Tsu sitting himself on the opposite end. Maurice noticed that he was staring at the ground, although he honestly couldn't see why. Or, for that matter, why he was acting so mysterious. "Honestly, I'm a bit flattered that your answering my questions. In the three days that we've been on this crew together, out of everyone, Kizashi, Kai, Ki, You, and myself, you've been the most mysterious person, so tell me, _who are you?_" he asked, putting emphasis on those last three words, his calm smile changing into a more serious look, his eyes opening slightly, revealing those azure eyes that seemed to pierce right into you. Maurice heard an audible chuckle, a very deep one. Tsu began writing on his whiteboard, taking just a bit, before handing it to Maurice. 'Who? I'm Tsukikurri, but you already knew that so why did you ask? But beyond that, who is a form of what, and what I am is a swordsman.' it read. "I see...." Maurice said, handing it back.

Suddenly, the whiteboard fell in his lap again, with fresh crimson letters neatly written on it. 'You remind me of the ward I took care of in my youth. Then again your not so much of an egghead as him if you went toe to toe with Ki to save your brother.' was written on it. "Egghead? Ward? Would it be too much of a stretch to suggest that _he_ is the expert navigator you mentioned to my brother in the way over here?" he asked, causing Tsu to nod. He was quite happy that he was breaking through that seemingly unbreakable layer, getting to know the swordsman just a little. Of course, while he was thinking about all that, Tsu was writing again, before handing a whiteboard to him.

'Yes. His name is Enpitsu. But I'll explain everything about him when we're on our new ship, heading towards the West Blue.'

"West Blue...?" Maurice said, his eyes opening again slightly, turning his head towards Tsu. "Let me see your hand." he said, and Tsu complied, knowing where this was going. Our friendly gangster of love took that glove off, seeing a tattoo on the palm of Tsu's right hand. It was light dark blue in color, with a snake making a perfect circle, biting it's tail. Through the center was a line, as if a sword has slashed that portion of Tsu's skin, leaving a wound that matched the color of the snake. "Your home island is that one in the West Blue, with the cliched name isn't it? Fighter's Isle?" he asked, remembering someone from the West Blue mentioning an island of fierce warriors with almost nothing but dojos and more dojos, with forests separating them. And more importantly...he remembered hearing about a fierce warrior who reportedly slaughtered every student in two of the most reputed dojos on the island, with a total bodycount of around fifty. "Were you that infamous fifty-swordsman slayer, Tsu?" he asked, still holding him by the wrist, smiling in a rather friendly way. The swordsman nodded, his eyes flickering with a glint of sadness, if just for a second. He jerked his hands free, putting his glove back on. He began walking along one of the paths in the park, towards god knows where. He hadn't figured Maurice to be that smart.

The tattoo on his hand, it was something of a tradition on his home island. It was the island's symbol, and most men got it when they turned eighteen, a symbol to wear with pride as they made their mark on the world...but all that was behind him, long behind him. But, deep down, he knew he'd have to face those old ghosts if he meant to guide his new captain to Enpitsu. "Hey!" Maurice called from behind, having stood up, hurrying behind Tsu with his squinted eyes, one hand stretched out. That was, before something landed right on the ground between his legs, causing him to look down. "Huh...?" he asked, looking down at it with his squinted eyes. "A black rose..." he said, stating the obvious.

"Heya, don't leave so soon." a voice said from above, a girl's voice.

"_Thank goodness...this story has a testosterone overload!_" was what went through Maurice's head when he heard that voice. He looked up, seeing that the source of that voice was a girl with black hair and the most peculiar eyes, which were a shade of sapphire. She was laying on her stomach, with black tom cats strewn about the other branches of the tree she was on. "_Her entourage, I presume._" our friendly fry-cook thought, as the girl stood up, doing an acrobatic flip, landing right in front of him. She was wearing a leotard, with a most odd kimino over it. It was, as far as Maurice could tell, customized to increase the girl's freedom of movement. "Um...hello." he said, quite taken aback by the girl's appearance...given that she had...well...pointed ears, ones that sorta reminded him of a cat. He'd never seen that before, in all of his twenty-two years.

"Likewise, and whats an indooresey-looking guy doing in the Cansa park, eh Blondie?" she asked, there being the slight undertone of a purr in her voice.

"Lets just leave it at...recreation. And presently chasing after a friend." he said, before beginning to walk right by her, his pace determined. That is, until she grabbed his wrist, smiling slightly, in this rather cute way.

"Its improper to walk by a lady whose giving you her undivided attention when so many men would _die _for it without even giving your name, Blondie."

"Its improper to ask a man his name without giving so much as your first name."  
"Oh, Akanio."

"Well then..." Maurice said, gently pulling his his hand free of the girl's soft-handed grip. "Some people call me the Space Cowboy." he said, peering his squinted eyes up to the sky. "Some others call me the Gangster of Love." he said, before those black tomcats pounced on him. It was a good minute before Maurice managed to shake them off, not hurting them at all, of course.

"Oh yeah, they tend to attack anyone they think is flirting with me." Akanio chimed in happily.

"Eeeeeh, thats okay then. Romance isn't my strong point." Maurice said, the more timid of his smiles showing itself as he scratched the back of his head. "But um...you can call me Maurice, even though my real name is Kizashi. Thats my brother's name as well though. Father sorta had a brainfart. And since hes the Captain...can't really argue with him being the one _called _Kizashi." he said.

"Oh, so your in a crew of some sorts then, with your brother?" she asked, Maurice only nodding in reply. "There're many types of crews though, _Gangster of Love._" she said, her ears perking up out of interest. "You don't look like a marine, your too scrawny looking to be a bounty hunter. Mercenaries tend to not hang around East Blue, so unless I'm missing something, your a pirate!" our new friend said.

It was just then, as Maurice got a better look at her, did he notice a Katana in a Blue sheath on her back. "That analysis was sharp, and to the point. I'm guessing from the sword your a pirate hunter or the like." he said, his squinted eyes peering right into her sapphire ones, despite the good fry-cook's being completely closed.

"Nope, Assassin. But um...you could call me a pirate too. But don't worry your handsome head about that, if I was after you _in the bad way_, you wouldn't have even known I was there, you or the blue-haired swordsman." she said, smiling the most...playful, sweet smile Maurice had ever seen in his life, a complete contrast to what she had said whilst smiling that smile.

To be continued...

(And now, a word from the Author)

So, hope you guys didn't mind the Maurice-centered chapter, felt like focusing on him for a bit. Don't worry, I'll get back to the main part, with Kizashi and Kai next chapter, leaving Ki's actions ambiguous for now, or up to Zan's devious imagination. Anyways...just incase anybody else wants me to use a character of their's...well, heres a small template.

Name: (Please don't be stupid)

Mannerisms: (Anything I need to know about how they walk, act, etc.)

Personality: What their thoughts about the world are, how nice they are, etc.

Gender: (Okamas are a-okay, this IS one piece.)

Weapons: (Don't overdo it)

Devil Fruit: (PLEASE, please, don't give him/her one for now...this is the Blue seas people, no devil fruits around every corner.)

Fighting Style: (One Piece gives elbow room for some wild stuff.)

History: (Not too tragic, please.)  
Appearance: (Don't overdo anything puh-lease)

Anything else: (Incase I had a brainfart and left something out)

Yeah, so, seeya next chapter then.


	13. Daughters only lead to trouble

Chapter 13

Daughters always lead to trouble

_Tsukikurri's journal, May 4th, _

_Sheathed sword through stillborn heart, gunshots heard from heaven. This city is odd, most odd. The people hurry through the streets, going from here to there and everywhere in between. Like ants scurrying to appease the queen and support the colony, only they don't support the colony...they only contribute to it's slow decay, ever-feeding their queen, their queen called Moral Decay. Found out that Kizashi, or Maurice as they now call him since a Shichibukai apparently lacked the intelligence to name his two sons different names, carries some amount of intelligence himself. Asked questions, questions that dug in deep. Revealed Enpitsu's name to him. Not like he wouldn't have found out soon, no good eggs broken. Opinion of others...odd. The captain is weak, his best friend seeming to be a seven year old boy who is more like a monkey then human. Guess thats a likeable quality. A whore distracted Maurice, with a tight leotard on that exposed breasts that looked like they'd crush his head. Don't know whether to slap or hug her for it...questions were revealing too much too fast. Now only have to wait for Captain and Monkey to come back and tell how exactly they messed up with getting us a ship. Since joining this 'crew', nothing has seemed to be easy. Pity._

Tsu put down his pin, having walked through the streets of Cansa, writing as he went. Unbeknown to him, he'd drawn several pairs of eyes that looked at him like he was something strange, odd, weird. If only they knew. Eventually, a voice called from behind him, as he was lost in thought. "Oiiii~ Tsuuuuuu~!" that voice, that...childish voice said. Kai, the monkey. He turned around, giving that scary, blank stare as he did so. The boy was riding on Kizashi's shoulder, barely able to keep still. He had a suspicion that the kid had an undiagnosed case of restless leg syndrome...but that wasn't going to say that. "Weh 'ave some good news, an' weh 'ave sowm bad news..." Kai said.

"We've got a chance to get this ship for free," began Kizashi, "Provided we're willing to work for it." he said, causing Tsu to look at him more suspiciously. "Lemme explain..."

~~~~Several Minutes Earlier~~~~

Kizashi, with Kai right alongside him, walked through the crowded streets of Cansa, looking for that Gohan fellow's office. No easy task, considering they could hardly spot the signs for the buildings in the constantly moving swarm of people. "Ah thought Lougetown was supposed to be th' biggest port in th' East Blew!" Kai said, finding his own way through this crowd...ie...jumping atop the heads of those silly adults.

"Yeah well...can't imagine it being any worse then this." Kizashi said, getting more aggressive, pushing his way through the crowd. "Comon, Comon, Asa Gohan's office can't be far..." he grumbled, noticing Kai was much further up in the crowd.

"OI! BLACKSHEATH-SAMA!" Kai screamed, atop the head of an angry businessman. "AH FOUND 'IS PLACE, OVER HERE!" He screamed, waving his arms in the air, like a moving beacon for anyone that wanted to know where a small boy was...good thing Micheal Jacksons dead in this case. Kizashi made his way hastily through the crowd, saying things like 'Outta the way' and 'Comon, get this show on the road!', before he finally reached Kai, who was resting on the steps outside his office. It was a fairly big building, four floors. He guessed...or certainly hoped, that the ships weren't built this far inland. "Took yah lowng enough." Kai said, standing up. "Wewl, what're we waiting for, letsh get in herh, Gotta get our shippy made!" the boy said, going in infront of Kizashi. The day was fairly hot, yes, but when Kizashi stepped inside, he suddenly felt the hairs on his arm stand up, the air was cold. Infront of the two was a desk. Behind it...was one of the hottest women Kizashi had ever seen. Oh thats right...your humble narrator forgot to mention the _one_ consistent quality of dear Kizashi Blacksheath...he _loved_ women. She had glasses on, and long blond hair, sorta curly but not enough that you would _call_ her curly-haired. Her breasts...even through a shirt that suggested a forced chastity, appeared to be the kind of size that was Kizashi-approved.

"You leave the talking...to me..." Kizashi said, a broad smile crossing his face as he walked up to the girl's desk, all the swagger of an actor in a comedy movie in his steps, his cloak drooping over his shoulders, from side to side. "Why hello there missy, y'know where we could find one Asa Gohan?" he asked, his tone polite on the surface, but suggesting that there was a wild side to him, just waiting to come out.

"You have an appointment with daddy?" the girl asked, looking up at him, taking in every feature of our dear hero's face, from the happy smile to the tattoo to the red eyes.

"Chief I suggest you don't do what we _both_ know you wanna with her...you need her daddy and daddies don't take too kindly to people messin' with their daughters." a voice on his shoulder said...one only he could hear. It was coming from...himself, dressed up as an angel, with a proper halo above his head and everything.

"Aaaaw comon, that only adds the danger angle to it. Comon man, tear her up!" another voice said, on his older shoulder. This one was him, only cloakless, with the horns and tail of a stereotypical devil. "The ole gal on Neo won't mind either! Comon, comoooon~."

"Honestly? I'unno whether I wanna see your father or you more at the moment." he said, staring into her eyes, as a comment was heard from behind, 'real smooth cap'n', from Kai of course.

"Don't get _that_ line alot-you a pirate or something?" she asked, remembering how most of her father's customers these days were Pirates bound for the grand line. Only the very best ones could afford one of his ships, but only a select few ever made it up reverse mountain, and down into the grand line. This guy, he didn't look like he'd make it five leagues from Cansa.

"Why, I'm glad you asked, _Mi petite Joli _**_érésipèle._****" he said, standing up straight in a most grand manner, placing his hand on the tip of his saber's hilt, smiling broadly. "I'm only the terror of Neo, the craziest sonuvabitch to ever sail between here and Biel, the one, the only, Kizashi Blacksheath!" he said proudly, drawing his saber and holding it up proudly, as if he were some grand hero out of a painting. **

**"Sir put that away, we don't allow weapons in here." the woman said, not caring for his attempts at flirting. "At the very least, put it away." she continued, tapping her hand on the desk like a matron or something. **

**"Yeahyeah, fine..." Kizashi said, grumbling as he sheathed his saber. "So, yep, I'm here to see 'ole Asa Gohan, don't have no appointment though." he said.**

**"Well then...no appointment, no seeing daddy, don't matter if you charm me right into bed, thats the ****rules Mr. Blacksheath." she said, smiling in that way that suggested she at least liked the attention, if nothing else. Which, of course, brightened Kizashi up quite a bit...at least he was charming her, and hot women were way more important then anything else. **

**But then, ****_another_**** girl opened a door. Behind her was a set of stairs, leading up to the next floor. She was even prettier then the blond, in the face...and her hair was dark fuckin' green to boot, and short. ****_"Holy mother of Johosafet"_**** Kizashi thought, blinking at the site of her. "Sis...daddy heard him makin' a racket. He says he wants to meet him, I'll...escort him." she said. There was quite a bit of a shy tone in her voice...like she was forcing herself to say what she did. **

**"Welps my sweet, I'll be back. Don't worry, I won't give your sissy ****_all_**** the attention." he said, causing the green haired girl to blush, although his main point was teasing the blondie. He walked forward, the girl turning around, leading him up the stairs. Kai followed, quieter then normal. He was getting kicks out of this, quite a few actually. As they found themselves on the second floor, Kizashi saw men drawing blueprints, discussing various details with one another, about this or that. "Whew...quite the operation you n' your daddy have going." our hero said offhandly. Kizashi jumped infront of the girl, just before they reached the stairs to the third floor, looking at her, right in the eyes. They were light blue...pretty.**

**"What in the worlds your name?"  
"My...name?"  
"Yeah, sure you have one. Can't have guys just callin' you Bouncy, can ya?"  
"Um...close actually. Bounce."**

**"Your kiddin', right?"  
"Nope...Bounce is the name, helping Daddy make ships is the game." the girl said happily, smiling weakly.**

**"Hmm, well Bounce, whats your role in this whole Company thing then?"**

**"Huh? Nobodys asked me what I do 'round here before, at least not any of the clients."**

**"Well that makes me the first, comon, tell."**

**"Okay...well...I manage the books, plus I do errands for Daddy, mostly little stuff like fetching guys like you when they catch his attention. They're always so cocky though...your a refreshing change. ****_And usually not nearly as handsome...hes not balding or beerstained or anythin'!_****"**

**"Hope you'll find I'm different in lotsa ways from the usual guys you escort through your dad's building."**

**"Cap'n quit flirtin', or at least do ih righ'" Kai commented as the trio kept walking, causing the girl to blush. "Ih's obvious she lieks yew. Look ah' 'er cheekees." he continued, pointing to the girl's cheeks, which were only getting redder. Now, most men would've covered their behinds like a proper gentleman, but no not Kizashi.  
"So? Its been foreeeeeever since I've seen any hot chicks, and suddenly two get dropped right into my lap, the devil dog's on the prowl little buddy." **

**"Devil Dog...?" the girl said, having never heard that term before.**

**"Oh nothing nothing, just what people called me on my home island for some reason." he said, and by that time, they'd reached the stairs to the fourth floor, to Asa Gohan's office. **

**"Well...here we are, Daddy's office, right up these stairs. Hope he doesn't make you do that silly game of his." the girl said, and as she began to walk back to wherever she usually hung around in that building, Kizashi called out.**

**"I'll be back to see you later, count on it Bounce." he said, loud like it were a boast.**

**"****_Oh, he remembered my name...this ones a keeper!_****" the girl thought, as she walked on back to wherever. **

**"Anyways...Kai, lets go see Ole man Gohan." the good captain said, Kai smiling and responding with an energetic "Yeah!" they walked up the stairs, side by side, eager to see the office. At the top of the stairs was a door, Kizashi turning it, letting Kai walk in first. **

**"Thats quite formal of a Captain, allowing his crew in first." a voice said from inside the room, traceable to a man with his back turned, facing a portrait, a man, a woman, and two girls. The man had blond hair, and a matching beard. The woman bore a great resemblance to Bounce, with green hair, only it was longer. In her lap sat another child with green hair...a younger looking Bounce he was guessing. And standing up, in a formal dress, was what looked like a younger version of the blond haired girl. "And smart too, if I'd killed the first person to walk through that door, you'd be fine, dear captain." he said, as he turned to face them. He looked a great deal like the man in that portrait. "But besides all that talk about nonsense...let's get down to business, shall we? Have a seat you two." he said, before sitting himself behind a desk. There were two chairs infront of it, Kai sat himself down in the left one, stretching comfortably. Kizashi, of course, sat down in the right, leaning back. "I see Rosie and Bounce have taken a liking to you-moreso then they do to my usual customers. Rosies usually cold to people, Bounce not nearly as taken aback. I'm not sure whether to thank you or tell you 'stay the hell away'. But anyways...once again, down to business." he continued, before pulling out a stack of papers from under his desk, looking through them. "I know who you are, and who your father is, Kizashi." the man said, shifting through the papers. "I made Mikhail's ship, the ****_Avant Garde_****. And now you come...some odd twenty-something years later, wanting one of your own. Most interesting." he said, finally finding the part of the file he was looking for. He tossed it to Kizashi, a picture. Not of his father, but of the ship, excessively well made. "And I'll tell you the same thing I told you father. You can't afford one of my ships. But you'll never be as great as Monkey D. Luffy unless you have a good ship to sail on. There arises a dilemma: how to acquire one. Well, gentlemen, I have an offer." Mr. Gohan said, before going silent for a few seconds.**

**"I'm listening." Kizashi said, finding himself...genuinely interested in what this man had to say. **

**"There is a very special weapon on display at the Museum of Cansa. I'd very much like it. If you can manage to steal it for me, I'll build you a ship of the finest quality, free of charge."**

**"Whats the catch?" Kizashi asked, knowing he was leaving out something.**

**"The catch? Well, the catch is...I have another crew on the job as well. Nothing like a little competition. Tell me, how many people are on your crew?"**

**"Five. Me, my brother, Kai here, and two ex-bounty hunters." is what Kizashi said back, calmly.**

**"Perfect! Five against Five. I'll leave the details up to you. Just. Get. Me. That. Weapon."**

**~~~~Present~~~~**

**"And, thats what we gotta do." Kizashi said, smirking like the devil. "We get that weapon, we get our ship, I probably get some booty in the form of his daughters...heh...everyone wins." he continued, ready to get to that Museum before his opponents got too big of a head start. "But...wheres Maurice and Ki?"**

**To be continued...**

**~~~~Myoushu's Odyssey(2) The curse~~~~**

**It was the night after that stunt at the execution grounds, and Myoushu was sleeping in the rain. The only thing that kept the light armor he was wearing from getting wet was the raggedy navy cloak he was wearing, hooded so that his face would keep dry as well. His sword was leaning against the wall behind him...and for once, he was managing to get a restful night of sleep. He wouldn't have traded that for anything...it was so hard to get a good night's sleep these days, being both ****_hunter_**** and ****_hunted_**** in a most dangerous game. But, just as he was dozing off into a world of dreams, he heard the sounds of guns being drawn, looking up to see five marines, all with their guns pointed at him. "You guys a death squad or are ya gonna try n' arrest me?" he said, his eyes seeming rather...empty.**

**"Shut it marinekiller, just stand up and don't try anything." one of the men said.**

**"Shushushu...hes quite the fit looking one...maybe they'll lemme have some alone time with you, eh Bio?" another one said, a man with a most perverted looking face.**

**"You'd do your pervy thing with a marinekiller Endrid-sama? Your ****_awful_****." a female marine said. She looked...so out of place in this whole situation. A bimbo...just a stupid bimbo.**

**"You know Endrid, he does worse things to 'em then the prisoners. But wow...have a look at that sword...you could cut a baby sea king in half with that thing!" a fourth marine said, smirking as if Myoushu was some new challenge for him to overcome.**

**"Quiet down! All of you! Just stand up with your hands over your head and don't try and use that sword. You do that you're safe...for now. Better then you damn well deserve." the fifth man said, holding his rifle with one hand. Something was crawling under each of their feet in the mud. If they even saw it...they'd just mistake it for a maggot or worm or something.**

**"Fine...your funeral buddies." Myoushu muttered, standing up, turning so that he was facing the wall, away from them. He was playing a shaky hand, about to draw a new card. Either he'd get a joker or a two of clubs. One of the marines moved up to get his sword...not like they'd be able to pick it up. **

**"Aaaah!" the marine said...the girl, as the sound of falling down was heard. "Somethin' got me by the leg!" she said, twisting around so that she could see what it was...and what she saw...was pretty damn ugly. It looked like a deformed human face, sticking out of the ground, with a root-like tentacle wrapped around her leg...and it was dragging her down. **

**"Its got Bia!" one of the others said, the one that had commented about Myoushu's sword. They all turned their guns away from the struggler, pointing them down. It was the last mistake they ever made. Myoushu stuck his mechanical arm up, the thing forming into a crossbow due to...well, it's rather hard to explain. Some other time. Just suffice to say, two of the marines that were standing up, the pervert and the old looking one, never saw the bolts coming until they were already sticking out of their foreheads. The serious looking one turned his gun up to face Myoushu, but it was too late for him too. He got a punch to the face from the mechanical arm, breaking his nose ****_off._**** As he turned to face the last one, the man looked at him with fear in his eyes. "Endrid...Martino...Gus...they're...gone..." he said, clearly scared. "What in the world...are you? And what in the world has Bia?" he asked, causing the man to laugh.**

**"I'm a man, and whats happening to the girl is part of being 'round me. Its sorta a curse." he said, before rushing forward, grabbing the man by the throat, crushing his windpipe. "But contemplate that in hell. You," he said, looking down at the girl, who was struggling against the creature. "You'll probably just get raped by that thing. Consider yourself lucky." he said, before just...walking off. **

**It wasn't until he got several feet away that he heard groans and hisses from behind him, rolling his ****eyes due to knowing exactly what to expect when he turned around. "Struggler..." the marines said...more of those things were crawling up, all over them. They were being possessed it seemed. Typical. "Give us your blood, Guujin!" they all said, before lunging at him. The girl's screams could still be heard in the background.**

**To be continued...**


End file.
